It's My Life
by Darc Oblivion
Summary: Roxas has been Namine's friend since elementary school. However, over the years, certain events have twisted up both of their lives. Not to mention their relationship together. Will these events actually bring them closer? AU Namixas.
1. You're Invited

Hello. I'm getting really mad because my mom's laptop is acting weird. I'm trying to type/edit a story here! Jeez...well ,anyway, I hope you like this story. I'll need at least 3 to 5 reviews if you want me to continue. Thanks and I hope you enjoy reading!

Summary: Roxas and Namine have been friends since fourth grade. When something happens to Namine that makes her depressed, Roxas will have to take care of her while dealing with his own problems and emotions.

Disclaimer: don't own Kingdom Hearts II

Couples: Mainly Roxas/Namine, but there will be Sora/Kairi, Hayner/Olette, and multiple pairings.

Chapter 1: You're invited

"Riku is SO checking her out!" A brunette exclaimed.

"Shh! He'll hear you." An auborn haired girl replied.

"Sorry, Kairi, but it's so exciting!" The brunette, Olette told her red haired friend, Kairi. "I mean, look. Namine is acting all oblivious! It's cute."

"_I swear, she's just like Selphie sometimes,"_ Kairi thought to herself. She sighed. "Olette, I'm sure Namine doesn't even know Riku's checking her out. I know her too well."

Kairi and Olette were in math class. Their teacher, Mrs. Driss, had given them a two-sided math worksheet for homework. She had finished the lesson for the day and the class had time to start their homework. Mrs. Driss allowed them to socialize as long as they were talking about math. She also let them ask each other if they needed help. Which was what Kairi and Olette's friend, Namine, was doing now. She was talking to a brunette boy named Sora about a math problem. All the while, Riku was checking Namine out.

Namine nodded when Sora finished explaining the problem to her. She thanked him and walked up to Kairi and Olette's seats.

Before Namine could say anything, Olette grabbed Namine and sat her down. "Okay, how do you do it? How do you act all cool when the cutest boy in school is checking you out?"

Namine looked surprised and confused. She glanced at Kairi. "What is Olette talking about?"

Kairi sighed and grinned at her pale friend. "You didn't notice, but Riku was checking you out."

"He was?" Namine asked. "But I don't even like him."

"I told you she didn't know." Kairi said to Olette but Olette ignored her.

"You don't like him?" Olette exclaimed. "How could you not like the cutest - and coolest - boy in school?"

Kairi raised an eyebrow. "Cutest and coolest, huh? Is that why you write 'Hayner' with hearts all over you folder?"

Namine giggled as Olette blushed and covered her folder with her arm.

"Anyway, I don't agree. I think Sora is the cutest boy in school." Kairi started.

Before Olette or Namine could reply, Mrs. Driss walked up to them. "I'm pretty sure boys are not a math problem,"

"Huh? Oh, sorry," Kairi apologized quickly.

The bell rang, signaling the end of math class and the beginning of lunch. The students gathered their supplies and headed out the door, eager to get to lunch.

-**Roxas's Point of View** (a/n - The rest of the story will be in Roxas's point of view)-

Kairi, Olette, and Namine were the last ones to get to the cafeteria. Olette and Kairi went to the lunch line to get school lunches and Namine walked up th a table with her bagged lunch.

I told Sora, Yuna, Tidus, Riku, and Pence that I was going to sit with the other girls today. We all were friends with Kairi, Olette, and Namine but sometimes we liked to have some separate tables. With the exception of Yuna. She was always at the boys' table near Tidus. I can tell she likes Tidus.

I got up after telling them and walked to the girl's table. I sat across from Namine.

"Hey Namine," I greeted the blonde.

"Oh, hi Roxas." She smiled. "How was science?"

"Boring," I stated, taking a bite of my sandwich.

Namine cocked her head. "I thought you liked science."

"There's a sub. And he's got the most _boring_ voice ever." I replied.

"Oh man, I've got science next!" Namine groaned.

"Haha!" I laughed. Namine and I have been friends since fourth grade. We hang out a lot. We have different classes for math and science, but the rest of the classes we have together. Kairi and Olette, two of her other close friends, are a bit preppy, but not too preppy to be annoying. I'm quite relieved about that.

"Don't laugh. You have math next." Namine pointed out.

"Evil Mrs. Driss," I groaned.

"She's not evil. She's just mean if you don't try. So you should try harder."

I nodded. "I know, I know,"

"Hey, Roxas!"

I looked over to see Kairi walking up to the table. She slid next to Namine, with a school lunch tray. "Hi, Kairi." I looked around. "Hey, where's Olette?"

Kairi smirked. "She's flirting with Hayner."

"I am not!"

Behind Kairi stood Olette and Hayner. Olette was blushing madly. Hayner was trying to hide his face, but I could tell he was blushing as well.

Hayner took a seat next to me, while Olette sat next to Kairi.

"Hey," Kairi said, getting our attention. She rummaged through a pocket of her cargo pants. She produced five envelopes. She handed us each an envelope. "As you know, my birthday is coming up. And I'm inviting you guys to my party!" We tore open the envelopes as she spoke.

"Yay! I'm free this Saturday!" Olette said. Her birthday was this Saturday, four days from now.

"I knew there was something important this month." Hayner said, scratching his head.

"Thanks, Kairi." Namine said.

Before I could say anything, Kairi handed me the fifth envelope. "Umm, Roxas? Can you give this to Sora?"

Without a second thought, I took it and said. "Sure thing."

Kairi has a huge crush on my stepbrother, Sora. And when I say huge I mean HUGE. She draws hearts around pictures of Sora. Yeah, she's obsessed. Sora also has a crush on Kairi. Heh, funny, no? Anyway, Sora is my stepbrother. When my father got my stepmother pregnant they divorced. In that same week, my dad hooked up with another woman - my mother - and got her pregnant. Sora was born a day before me.

"Well, there will be boys and girls so we can do some fun things!" Kairi grinned at Olette and Namine. Hayner and I exchanged glances. "I have to deliver the rest of these invitations now." Kairi got up and left.

"Oh! Yeah..uh..I'll go with her." Namine gave me a look that said 'leave.'

"And I'll go give this to Sora." I said, getting up with Namine. Once we were out of earshot, I asked. "Why do you want me to leave them alone?"

Namine grinned.

"Oh." I said. Kairi wanted to leave Olette and Hayner alone. "I get it." I headed over to Sora's table, while Namine headed over to Kairi.

"How come I didn't give an invitation?" As I neared the table, I heard Sora complaining to his friends. Tidus, Riku, Yuna and Pence all received invitations.

I placed my hands on Sora's shoulders and yelled, "Hey Sora!"

He jumped. He was still breathing hard when I handed him the invitation. "Kairi wanted me to give this to you," I said, smiling.

"Roxas! Don't do that! You'll give me a heart attack!" He said, taking the envelope from me.

I smiled and then the bell rang. I jumped, startled. Time sure does go by when your having fun. I went back to my table. Hayner and Olette were gone. I smiled. I cleaned my lunch off the table and headed for my locker. Namine and Kairi were gone, so I figured they were already at their lockers.

As I walked with the crowd toward the hallway, someone pushed me into the person in front of me.

"Hey!" The brunette girl I had bumped into started. "Watch it...Roxas? Hi!"

"Hi, Selphie." I said to the romance- loving brunette.

"Oh, oh, oh!" She exclaimed. "Guess what?"

"What?" I asked, eager to hear some new gossip.

"I saw Hayner and Olette in a very deep kiss!" She squealed. "They are so cute together!"

I smirked. "See you Selphie." I said walking to my locker. I figured as soon as we left, Hayner and Olette went into an empty hallway and made out. And Selphie just happened to pass by.

"Bye!" She replied and skipped away.

I'm going to have to get Hayner for that one.

End of Chapter 1

So, how'd you like it? It's a slow start but, eventually, it'll be more Roxas/ Namine and it'll get to the plot. But first, a birthday party:D


	2. Falling for your Best Friend

Oh man...I have to babysit some boys until 1:00...am. GOD. I'm gonna die xX Ah, well, I've decided to write the second chapter since you all liked the first one. Hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I don't own KH2, iTunes, iPod, The Simpsons, and any other brand name mentioned.

Chapter 2: Falling for your Best Friend

"Haaaayner!" I called, searching the crowded hallway. School had just began and all the students were at their lockers and preparing for their morning classes.

"Oh, Hayner! Where are you?" I called out, louder then before. I wanted to see if Selphie had been telling the truth about him and Olette kissing in the hallway yesterday. I didn't find him and I decided to wait for lunch to bother him.

As soon as my last class ended, I headed for lunch, anxious to see Hayner. I really wanted to see his face when I told him the gossip. I walked to our table only to find Kairi, Namine, and Olette. No sign of the brunette I was looking for.

"Hey, guys," I greeted. "Anyone seen Hayner?" I payed attention to Olette's face. She turned pink but said nothing.

"Hi Roxas. Did you give Sora the invitation?" Kairi asked, ignoring my question.

"Yes, yes, I did. Have you seen Hayner?" I replied impatiently.

"He went home early because he was feeling sick," Namine told me.

"Oh," I was utterly disappointed. Then, I thought of something. I grinned evilly.

Namine and Kairi exchanged glances. "Roxas...what are you up to?"

I ignored them and said to Olette. "So, Olette," I smirked. "What did you do during lunch yesterday? I couldn't find you."

She looked at me and turned red. "Uh.." She nervously took a sip of her water.

I grinned. "Congrats for kissing Hayner!"

Olette immediately prayed the water she was drinking out of her mouth. "H-How..?" She stuttered, her face turning crimson. It's a good thing no one was sitting across from her. They would have been sprayed with water.

"Olette! You kissed Hayner? Why didn't you say anything!" Kairi demanded.

"Lay off, Kairi." Namine said, noticing her brunette friend getting even more embarrassed. "You too, Roxas."

I shrugged. "Selphie told me. You know how she gets."

Olette smiled, still red. "It's okay, really. Hayner and I..well..." She started.

"You're his girl friend!" Kairi jumped up, excited. "Oh yeah! Go Olette!"

"That's it. I'm going to sit with Sora and the others. Unless you already told them..." Olette got up and looked at me.

I shook my head. "I didn't tell him. I swear."

"Good. I'll see you in English." Olette carried her lunch to Sora's table.

Kairi was still beaming. I didn't know why she was so pleased. But, as I looked at her, I could see some sadness in her expression. Before I could ask my she seemed sad, the bell rang. I threw the remains of my lunch away and headed for my locker.

-------------

After school, we all got together -Me, Namine, Olette, Riku, Selphie, Sora, Tidus, Yuna, and Pence- and wondered what we were going to give Kairi for her birthday.

"Let's go to the mall!" cried Selphie.

"Let's not." I replied. I hated malls. Especially on Fridays and it was Friday. The mall would be super busy and crowded.

"Well, where else can we go?" Namine asked.

"My driver's test is today. Maybe if I get my licence we can go down town!" Riku said. Riku was sixteen and was in driving school. I wasn't sure if I could trust Riku's driving skills. Once I watched him drive a course and he knocked over all the cones. So I decided I didn't want Riku to be our chauffeur.

"Or we could ask my mom to drive us somewhere. She's got a van so we can all fit." Sora suggested.

"Yeah, let's do that." Pence said. "Besides, Riku needs to take his drivers's test in.." Pence looked at his watch on his wrist. "Hey Riku, didn't you sat your test was at 3:00? Because it's 2:55 right now."

Riku looked at him and scowled. "Awww, shit!" (A/n - Sorry for the swears but it's only necessary. Any teen would swear at a time like this. ) Riku started running toward his driving school. "You guys go ahead. I'll get a present with Hayner tomorrow!" Riku sprinted as fast as he could.

"Good luck!" Selphie and Yuna called.

"Heh, I bet he'll fail." Tidus snickered.

"Think positively!" Yuna scolded him and hit him on the head.

"Well, it's not my fault he sucks at driving," Tidus mumbled. "Oh crap! I've got soccer practice!" Tidus yelled.

"Man, everyone's forgetting things today," Sora said.

"Okay, how about I go with Tidus to his practice and you guys get a present for us," Yuna handed me her munny. "Get something good." Yuna smiled and ran off with Tidus. I knew Yuna liked Tidus. I knew it.

"So now it's just me, you, Namine, Olette, Selphie and Pence." Sora said to me.

"Yep." I replied. "Let's go to your house and ask if we can go to the mall," I dreaded the mall, but it was for Kairi.

--------------

We went to the mall and each bought Kairi a gift. I got her an iTunes gift card for her iPod; Namine got her a pair of really nice earrings and matching bracelets; Selphie bought her a collection of romantic novels; Pence got her a DVD of The Simpsons; Olette bought her a soft scarf that, according to Sora, matched Kairi's eyes; Sora didn't get her anything. He was having trouble finding the perfect gift and he just didn't find one.

So that brings us to our current location. I was at my stepmom's house- Sora's house- in Sora's room, pondering what to get Kairi. The rest of our friends had already gone to their houses. Actually, Sora was panicking more then trying to find a solution.

"What should I get her? What should I get her? Roxas, you could help me you know." Sora glared at me.

I sighed, getting impatient. "Sora, why don't you just kiss her for a gift. You know, she does likes you." I clamped my mouth shut. Oh, crap. I'd just told Sora Kairi's secret. Kairi was SO going to kill me.

Sora stared at me. "S-She likes me?"

I sighed again. "Yeah. But don't tell her I told you. She'll have my head for blowing her secret." Why did Kairi even tell me anyway? Probably because I was related to Sora. Yeah, that must be it.

"So, s-she'd like it..i-if.. I, you know.." Sora paused, blushing at the thought. "..Kissed her."

"Yep." I replied lazily. I don't know why Sora was stuttering. It's not like Kairi is here or anything...

I looked out the window. I half expected to see Kairi. I laughed at myself for thinking that.

"Roxas, I need to go ask Mom something," Sora started.

"She's not my mom." I replied softly.

"Oh, right. Uh..be right back." Sora slipped out of the room.

I shouldn't have acted like that. I was acting weird, even though I didn't need to be. I sighed and lied down on his bed. My thoughts raced by my head as I thought of my dad. He was such a jerk. Getting Sora's mom pregnant then leaving her. She must have been devastated. Then he had to get my mom pregnant. Then, he left her. Two weeks ago. He just left. I clenched my teeth. A jerk like that shouldn't be roaming around.

I cleared my head. I didn't feel like being emo right now. Yes, sometimes I turn emo. Without knowing it, my thoughts were on Namine. She had such beautiful blonde hair and gorgeous blue eyes...

I immediately sat up. Namine was my friend. I am not falling for her. I was not. I was complementing her. Yes, that's it. My cheeks felt hot. I was blushing. No. Oh, no. This is bad. Namine is one of my best friends. I can't fall for her. I won't.

Then Sora barged in again. "Roxas! I'm going to kiss Kairi on her birthday!" He announced. "Mom.. er, _my_ mom approves of it." He beamed. "I will finally tell her how I feel."

"Great." I replied. "I need to get going now. See you, Sora." I walked out of his room.

"Bye, Roxas. Thanks." Sora said.

"No problem," I replied. "No problem." Although I had a problem. I was falling in love with Namine!

End of Chapter 2

Well, people, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review or I won't continue. MWAHAHAHAH!


	3. He bloody failed him!

Hey you people! First of all, I'd like to thank Malcolm Yuy for correcting me. **Roxas and Sora are NOT step brothers, they are HALF-BROTHERS. **

I'd also like to thank all my reviewers!

Secondly, Roxas is emo! Just like me! -dies-

And yes, people, Sora is a Mama's boy :D

ANYWAY

Disclaimer: Please. As if I own Kingdom Hearts...

Chapter 3: He bloody failed him!

The next morning, Riku called me and asked if I wanted to go over his house. I accepted his invitation and walked over. Riku lived about four blocks away from me.

So here I was now, on Riku's doorstep and ringing the doorbell. The reason I actually came was because I needed some help..with girls. I honestly had no idea how to admit my feelings to a girl.

The door opened and Riku pulled me in immediately. He slammed the door behind him.

"What's your problem?!" I shouted. I turned to look at him. To my complete surprise, Riku was sobbing. He wasn't really sobbing, but he looked like he would burst out crying any second. I cocked my head to the side. "Riku?"

"He failed me!" Riku shouted, grabbing the nearest item - A book - and tossing it. "He bloody failed me!" The book hit a lamp, which fell over and broke into a million pieces.

"Shit," He groaned and grabbed my wrist. He pulled me up the stairs to his bedroom. I could hear his mom start to shout. Riku's mom always made me laugh. She would freak out a lot, but she was really kind. Riku slammed his bedroom door as soon as we were in.

"Okay, what happened?" I asked. I sat down on his bed, and folded my arms.

"He failed me! The stupid driver's ed teacher failed me!" Riku yelled.

"Oh...sorry, man," I replied, scratching the back of my head.

Riku sighed, calming down. He was pacing back and forth. "Yeah.. Sorry I yelled like that... I just need to forget about it..."

"Hey, I've got an idea!" I said, snapping my fingers, as if I'd just thought of it. I was really anxious to hear what Riku had to say about girls. Riku was really popular and all the girls in school loved him. I think some even worshipped him. Surely, he could help me out.

"Alright. Let's hear it." Riku said, curiously.

"Well..." At that time I blushed a little, and played with my fingers. "I was wondering.." I coughed.

Riku smirked, his misery gone. "I know. You have a crush, don't you?" He was grinning now, and I knew he would be trouble.

"Uh...yeah. How did you know?" I asked.

"It's obvious. And it's written all over your face. Who's the special girl?"

"Ummm..." I wasn't sure if I wanted to tell him. You never know, he might run off and start spreading rumors.

"Come on! Tell me, tell me, TELL ME!" Riku shook my shoulders.

"Okay, okay! Well, it's..Namine." I said her name quietly.

"What?" Riku asked. Oh great. He was playing the 'I-Can't-Hear-You' game.

"Namine." I repeated.

"Who?"

"NAMINE!" I yelled, getting frustrated. I clamped my mouth with my hand after noticing the open window. You never know, someone might be walking by...

Riku looked a bit hurt. Then he changed his expression. "Oh, um, great," He said, looking away.

"Err..."I started, not knowing what to say. My cell phone in my pocket started buzzing. I picked it up. The caller ID had Namine's number on it. Great. I answered it. "Hello?"

"Roxas, please, can you meet me after Kairi's party privately?" There was some urgency in her voice, and that worried me a little. She sounded worried and anxious. I automatically said 'yeah' before asking why.

"Thank you so much," She said softly before hanging up. I hung up my phone and stuck it back in my pocket.

"Who was it?" Riku asked.

I hesitated before answering. "Oh, um, my mom. She said she wants me home." I lied through my teeth. I didn't know I would lie to him. It just came out.

"Oh. Okay. See you at the party, then." Riku said.

I smiled. "Yeah."

----

As soon as I got home, I called up Sora on his cell phone. Maybe Sora can help. I wasn't able to get anything out of Riku. Plus, he seemed...I don't know. He was definitely upset when I told him I had a crush on Namine.

_Hey, you reached Sora's cell. Please leave a message after the beep, yo._

Instead of leaving a message, I hung up. He was probably getting ready for the party. I glanced at the clock. It read 4:50. I had ten minutes until Kairi's party. Man, time sure flies by. I suddenly wondered if Riku purchased a present for Kairi...He never did get his licence...oh well.

I placed the iTunes card in a small purple bag. I tied the handle of the bad with a piece of string. Done. I grabbed the present and called. "Mom! I'm going to Kairi's!"

"Okay! Have fun!" I heard her say.

"I will!" I replied before walking out the door toward Kairi's house.

The walk to Kairi's takes about eight minutes. It's funny how we all live near each other. As I walked, I thought about Namine's phone call. Why did she need to see me? Privately? Maybe she liked me? No, no. It's probably something else. Something important.

Soon, I found myself in front of Kairi's. Then another thought struck me.

"_Well, there will be boys and girls so we can do some fun things!"_ Was what Kairi had said. What were these 'fun things'? I gulped as I walked up her doorsteps and rang the doorbell. I'm pretty sure I don't want to know what the 'fun things' are.

End of Chapter 3

Sorry it's a short chapter. I'm still figuring some parts out. Well, please review. I want at least 5 reviews before I continue. MWUHAHAHA!


	4. Where's Sora?

Hey, y'all! I have no homework! You know what that means: MORE UPDATING TIME. -throws confetti- Wewt. Okay, let's get started.

Disclaimer: I am not even old enough to drive, do you think I own Kingdom Hearts?! Well no. I don't own it. I also don't own Twister or Battle Ship.

Chapter 4: Where's Sora?

"Why, hello, Roxas!" Kairi squealed and yanked me in as soon as I rang the doorbell. She slammed the door behind me and grabbed my wrist. Before I could protest, she pulled me into the living room, where the party would mostly likely be taking place.

Kairi let go of me. I rubbed my wrist and placed my present on a table that had been set up. The whole room had been transformed. Multicolored ribbons hung everywhere. All the fancy and breakable items had been removed. The only furniture left was a couple of tables, some chairs, and the couch. One table had chips and dip, cherries, and other snacks on it. The other was for presents. My present was the only one sitting on the table.

"So...where is everyone?" I asked, sitting down on the couch.

"You're the first one here," she replied. "Sora's coming right?"

I sighed. "Yes, Kairi. Sora is coming."

She smiled. "Good." The door bell suddenly rang. Kairi ran to get the door.

--------------------------

Finally, everyone showed up. Hayner, Olette, Pence, Selphie, Riku, Namine, Tidus, Yuna, and ...not Sora.

Five minutes had already passed and still Sora was nowhere to be found. Kairi insisted on waiting for him before starting the party. As time went by, I kept stealing glances at Riku. The way he acted earlier was so weird. He acted like he was upset to hear me say I liked Namine. But now he seemed fine. A little pissed off because of Sora, but fine. I felt relieved that Riku was back to normal.

Five more minutes went by, and there was still no sign of Sora.

Ten minutes.

Fifteen.

"Where the hell is he?!" Hayner yelled, impatiently.

"Yeah, it's not like him to be this late," Yuna stated.

Everyone started talking and yelling about Sora.

"Okay, everyone! Listen up!" Kairi yelled, getting our attention. "Sora may not be here yet, but let's just get started on some games, okay?" She started getting out a couple of board games. My eyes locked onto Twister.

"Oh, Kairi..." Selphie said, a little saddened that Sora had not come yet.

"I'm sure Sora has good reason why he isn't here yet," Tidus started.

"Yeah." Riku and Pence both agreed.

"I'm sure you're right, Tidus." Kairi said, smiling.

And so, we started playing some games. We had two different games going on. Battle Ship was being set up, as was Twister. Pence and Tidus were playing against each other at Battle Ship while Olette watched, and the rest of us were starting to play Twister. Kairi didn't participate. She was staring out the window, looking sad. Twister was going to have to wait.

I walked up to where Kairi was sitting. "I'll see if I can find him." I told her.

"No, Roxas. You don't need to." Kairi began.

"No, no. It's fine. Besides, Sora was really excited for the party, so he must have gotten himself into trouble. Or something. So, I'll go find him. Alright?"

Kairi smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Roxas."

"No problem." I replied and headed out the door.

Before I opened the door someone tapped my shoulder. I turned and saw Namine.

"Let me come with you. Kairi said it was fine." Namine said.

"Uhh...okay." I replied and we both walked out of Kairi's house.

-------------------------

We were silent for some time. Namine seemed lost in thought. I had nothing to say. So I thought of where Sora could be. I wanted to say something though, to break the awkward silence. "So, Namine.." I started.

"Hmm?" She looked at me.

"..." I was at loss of words. Why? Because of her eyes. They were so gorgeous. Call me corny, but they were. They were such a beautiful shade of blue...

"Yes?"

"Oh, um, uh..." I could feel my face turning red. "Where should we..uh...look first?" Remember the mission, Roxas. Find Sora.

"Well, first let's see what his mom has to say." Namine suggested.

"Yeah. Good idea." I complemented her. Namine turned her head, but I saw she was blushing. I smiled.

Before long, I spotted Sora's house. Namine and I walked up the porch and rang the doorbell. To my - and probably Namine's - surprise, _Sora_ answered the door!

"Sora? What the hell are you doing?" I asked rather rudely.

"Roxas? Namine?" Sora asked, bewildered.

"The party!" I shouted.

"Kairi's waiting for you!" Namine said.

Sora gasped. "What?! What time is it? Oh man, she must hate me! Oh man! Roxas, Namine. Could you do me a favor? Tell Kairi I'll be there. I've got a surprise, but it is on it's way."

"What do you mean?" Namine asked before I could.

"I bought some tickets to see a concert. I could only afford two, and I wanted to do something really nice, like..." Sora stopped, slightly blushing.

"So, you're going to ask Kairi out to a concert?" Namine asked.

Sora nodded. "But the tickets won't get here until later."

"Why don't you go to the party and come back and get the tickets?" I asked. Sometimes Sora can be so stupid.

"I don't know when the tickets will be here. I only know it's today." Sora replied. "Can you tell Kairi that I am sorry and I'll have a special present for her?"

"Alright, alright." I said.

Sora beamed. "Thanks Roxas!" He shut the door and Namine and I turned to walk back to Kairi's house.

I shook my head. "Jeez, Sora can be so stupid,"

Namine laughed. "Heheh, right."

I suddenly remembered something. "Oh, hey, Namine?" I looked at her.

"Yeah?" She asked, looking directly at me. Once again, her eyes captivated me.

"Well..you know how you called me earlier?" I started after pausing to look at her eyes. "Do you think you could tell me what was so important? Or do I have to wait until after the party?" I pondered.

Namine looked down. Her face saddened. "Oh..." Namine said softly.

"I-I can wait," I rushed, sensing her sadness and discomfort. "You can tell me later, okay?"

Namine met my gaze again. "Alright. Sorry."

"No need to be sorry." I said, smiling.

Namine smiled back, and immediately I blushed. I continued to look into her eyes, though. Namine had a grown slightly red, also. We stood there, staring at each other.

"Hey!!"

The moment was interrupted as I heard a voice. I turned to see who it was. I saw a familiar spiky haired brunette racing to catch up to us. Sora. He was looking very pleased. "I got them!" He shouted. "I got the tickets!" He caught up to us, but instead of stopping, he raced on. "See you at Kairi's!" He called.

"Come on, let's hurry." I said to Namine as we quickened our pace. Man, Sora had ruined that perfect moment. I could tell Namine was going to say something. It was completely ruined. I glanced at Namine, who looked up. I smirked, still blushing. She did, too.

Silently, we made our way to Kairi's.

------------------------

"Now it's party time!" Hayner yelled as soon as Namine and I opened the door. "Let's get rid of these kiddy games and start the real ones!"

"Yeah!" Pretty much everyone agreed.

"Okay, now that Sora is here, we can actually have some fun." Kairi said, pleased. She wasn't at all mad that Sora had missed a half an hour of her party. I didn't know why. I love thing, I suppose.

Sora hadn't given Kairi her present yet. He was probably waiting for the best moment. Plus he wanted to kiss her, too. Man, oh man, Sora is probably going through a lot pressure.

Kairi grinned at the girls. That made me nervous. "Uh oh..." I mumbled. Pence gulped. All of us guys were nervous about that grin. Except Sora. He was clueless as ever.

"Let's play 'Spin the Bottle'!" Kairi yelled out one of the most famous games teenagers play.

It was going to be one heck of a party.

End of Chapter 4

Yay! Cliffhangers!

I wanted to start the games in this chapter, but you are going to have to wait. Plus I'm, kind of tired. Yes, yes, I am so evil. Well, keep the reviews coming!


	5. Seven Minutes in The Closet

Yay! We're at chapter 5! I'd like to thank all of those who reviewed. :D Well, hope you enjoy this chapter and PLEASE REVIEW! Some people are reading this story and not reviewing! I'd love it if you could review!

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Kingdom Hearts II

Chapter 5: Seven Minutes in The Closet

"No."

"Come on, Roxas! You have to play!"

"Play, and then spend seven minutes in the closet with any one?! Yeah, right!"

Kairi's game of Spin-The-Bottle was horrifying. When someone spun the bottle and landed on someone else, both of them had to go into the closet for seven whole minutes. There was no way I was going to play this version of Spin-The-Bottle!

"Why can't we just play Truth or Dare?" I asked.

"Because! That game is childish! Besides everyone else is willing to play except you!" Kairi yelled, pointing at me. I looked around. It was true. Selphie, Tidus, Yuna, Olette, Pence, Riku, Namine, Sora, even Hayner were all sitting in a larger circle with an empty bottle in the middle.

I sighed. "...Fine." I sat down between Riku and Hayner.

"That's my boy!" Hayner said, punching me in the shoulder.

"Whatever," I replied.

"Okay, how about Roxas spins the bottle!" Tidus yelled.

"No! You're lucky I'm even playing! Don't push it." I said.

"I want to spin it!" Selphie called out and reached for the bottle. She gave it a strong spin. The bottle began circling around and around and around...I prayed it wouldn't land on me.

The bottle started slowing down. It passed me. It was even slower. It was coming toward me again. It missed me and started circling again. This would be it's last round. The bottle slowly, slowly stopped at...

Riku. Not me.

I sighed with relief.

"Me?" Riku stared. He hesitated before getting up. Then he walked with Selphie to the closet. Selphie was giggling madly and she shut the door. Before the door shut, I noticed Riku had glanced at Namine for some odd reason.

Some odd reason...

My eyes widened as I realized the truth. Riku likes Namine! That's why when I told him that I liked her he was sad. I almost said something out loud, but I caught myself. What was I going to do? One of my friends likes the girl that I like!

Eventually, seven minutes had passed, and Riku and Selphie came out. Riku was looking like he normally would but Selphie looked disappointed. I guessed that nothing exciting happened.

"Okay...my turn!" Olette said and spun the bottle. That was when I spaced out. Riku likes Namine of all the girls in the whole town. And, she just so happens to be _my_ crush. What was I going to do...? Maybe Namine liked Riku. Maybe she liked me. Maybe Riku because he was the most popular boy in school. Then again, Namine wasn't really his type. Or maybe she was..?

My brain felt like it would explode. A million thoughts ran through my head all at once. Well, maybe I could ask her. Ask her what? 'Do you like Riku? Or do you like me?' No, no, no, that would be stupid and she would think I was an idiot or a freak.

"Roxas...Earth to Roxas.." I ignored the voices and continued to figure out what to do.

Suddenly, I felt my ear being pulled. "ROXAS!!" Someone yelled loudly in my ear.

I snapped back to reality. "Oww! What was that for?!" I yelled. Hayner was the one who had yelled in my ear.

"You were spacing out," Yuna stated.

"I...was. Yeah." I replied, rubbing my ear. "Hayner, that hurt."

"Well, you wouldn't listen to us." Hayner retorted, folding his arms.

"Anyway, look!" Kairi squealed. "Namine spun it and you got picked!"

"W-w-what? What about Olette?" I asked, very nervous now.

"She has already gone." Tidus said, grinning broadly.

Of all the luck in the world. Why did Namine have to spin and get me? The odds were so high of me getting picked. I swear, karma loves to bite me in the...

"Go, Roxas!" Sora said, pulling me up and pushing me toward the closet. "You can't chicken out!"

"Enjoy your stay Roxas," Pence said, opening the door to the closet. Namine was laughing all the while. Sora gave me one push and I was in the darkness of the empty closet.

"You too, Namine!" I heard Olette and Selphie yell and soon, Namine was right beside me. The door slammed shut and timer started. Seven minutes in the closet. With Namine. Alone with Namine. Seven long minutes.

I let my eyes adjust to the darkness. I could make out Namine's face, but none of her features. Her white clothes stood out in the dark.

"So..." I started. "This game is pretty stupid." Namine and I were best friends! I can't let my emotions get in the way. We would have a regular conversation..in the closet.

"Yeah." Namine agreed.

Silence followed. "Umm...about the issue you were going to tell me after the party...can you tell me now?" I asked. Of course I was curious and a bit worried, remembering the sound of her voice when she had called me hours before.

"Not now. Someone might be listening." Namine said softly.

"Oh." I sounded incredibly stupid. I had no idea what to say, though. So I banged on the door and asked, "How long has it been?"

"Two and a half minutes." Someone answered. I sighed. A small, tiny, little, part of me actually enjoyed Namine's company alone. I blushed lightly as I thought of her.

"Roxas?"

"Yeah?" Had she seen me blushing? I hope not.

"I'm a little bored." She answered.

I nodded. "Same here. This game is so pointless." I told her.

"Everyone is expecting _something_ to happen to the people in the closet, though. I wonder what.." Namine said.

"Well, they are expecting to see someone blushing. The whole point of the game is to embarrass you." I replied.

Namine was looking at me. I could see her eyes, even in the darkness. So beautiful...I shook my head, realizing that I was blushing. "It's kind of stuffy in here, isn't it?" I asked.

"Are you _blushing_, Roxas?" She asked, playfully.

"No!" I said a little too loudly.

Namine giggled. "Yes, you are. I can tell."

"No, I am not!" I denied it.

"Why are you yelling, then?"

"Because...because..."

"Hah! So you are blushing!"

"No, I am NOT-"

"Seven minutes is up!" The door opened and I stumbled out. I had been leaning against the door so when it opened I fell. Namine walked out after me, still giggling.

"What happened?! What happened?!" Selphie, Yuna, Kairi and Olette asked Namine excitingly.

"Hey Roxas, are you blushing?" Sora, Hayner, Pence and Tidus teased me.

"No! For the last time, I am not blushing!" I yelled defensively. I knew I was, though. I could feel it.

Everyone was laughing and having a good time. They were mostly teasing me since I was blushing. "It was hot in there!" I yelled.

"Why? Because Namine was in there?" Tidus smirked evilly.

"NO!!" I yelled, my face heating up even more. "That's it, I need some fresh air!" I exited the room quickly, while everyone laughed their heads off. I felt a bit embarrassed and sort of...guilty. I noticed Riku had been forcing a smile. I knew it was fake. He wasn't laughing. He was clearly upset.

I opened the front door and stepped outside. "Why should I feel guilty?" I asked myself as I paced Kairi's porch. "It's not like I chose to be in the closet with her."

"Who are you talking to?"

I jumped. Kairi. Her head was poking out from an open window. "No one, just myself."

Kairi raised an eyebrow, but said nothing more. "Okay, well, I'm opening presents now. I told everyone to shut up. So you can come back in." Kairi smiled at pulled her head inside. She shut the window and I made my way back to the living room.

-----------

Eventually, Kairi opened every present. Except, of course, Sora's. She loved them all. Everyone was pleased. Sora, on the other hand, was sweating like crazy. He was bright red, and holding something -Most likely his present- behind his back.

"Umm..." He pretended to cough. "Kairi..I'd like...I'd like.." He turned crimson and stopped speaking. Everyone else had stopped talking as well. All eyes were on Sora. He gulped.

"Kairi...willyougooutwithme?" Sora stuttered and talked quickly. He thrust his small present into her hand. Kairi stared at him, smiling.

"...What did you say?" She asked, turning pink.

Sora gulped. "Will...you..go out...w-w-with me?"

Kairi's face lit up and she stood up and embraced Sora. "Of course!" Sora was surprised. He didn't do anything at first. Then he glanced at me. I gave him a thumbs up. He smiled and hugged her back.

"Awww!" Selphie and Yuna exclaimed at the same time.

"So cute!" Olette said.

They let each other go and Sora said. "Open your present."

Kairi happily unwrapped the small present to reveal the ticket. She read it over and hugged Sora again. "Thank you!"

"Can I see?" I asked. Kairi held the ticket out to me. I grabbed the ticket and read it. It was some band I'd never heard of. Apparently, it was Kairi's favorite band.

"It's tomorrow." Sora started. "Will you be able to make it?"

"Yes!" She was obviously excited. "Thank you all so much! This is the best birthday ever!"

----------

Eventually, it was time to go home. Everyone left and thanked Kairi. Before long, Namine, Sora and I were the only ones left. Sora was staring at Kairi nervously. I knew he was mentally preparing for his final gift to Kairi.

"Well, see you later! Happy Birthday!" I called as I left. Namine said the same and we both walked away. I glanced back and I saw Sora kissing Kairi. Kairi was definitely enjoying it. I smirked. Sora had finally done it. "I'm so proud," I said, pretending to cry.

Namine looked back at Sora and Kairi and laughed. "Me too."

We turned around and made our way to...Actually, I just followed Namine. I didn't know where she was leading me. I stopped walking and asked, "Where are we going, anyway?"

"The park. I'm sorry for dragging you along, but it's important." Namine said.

"No, don't worry about it. I'll be here for you." Man, I am so corny.

"Thanks." Namine smiled up at me and we continued our walk to the park. The park, where I'll find out what's troubling her.

End of Chapter 5

Whew, that was quite long. Oh well. Please review! I expect at least 7 reviews before moving on. 'Till then!


	6. Family Problems

Ugh...My teachers gave me so much homework this week T.T Well, I decided to update since I got so many reviews! Thank you so much! You really do motivate me So, let's get the show on the road!

Note: Angsty Chapter...sorta..in the beginning.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts II. Square Enix people are too smart for me.

Chapter 6: Family Problems

We arrived at the park. Finally. The park was great. There were many sidewalks and routes with beautiful gardens and trees. During the day, it was busy with adults walking and children playing. But now, since it was dusk, it was quiet with few people walking around.

I was walking beside Namine, patiently waiting for her to say something. Okay, so maybe I wasn't _that_ patient. But I restrained myself.

"So," I started.

"I'm sorry. For dragging you out here. It's just..." Namine trailed off and looked away.

"No, no, it's okay. Like I said I'm here for you. Now what happened?" I asked her gently.

"Roxas..." She mumbled. "It's...it's..." She stopped. She was looking at the ground, shaking. I wanted to do something, anything to make her feel better. So I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her toward me.

"What it is?" I asked softly.

"My father left...he left. He left us. And it's my fault!" Namine cried, burying her face in my shoulder. I was shocked. Why would her dad leave her? He was so nice and kind. I met him only once, but he welcomed me as if I were part of the family. He was usually gone on business trips, so I never got to see him again. He seemed so happy, though. Why would he leave?

"Namine, it's not your fault.." I started.

"But it is!" She cried. "It is!" She was sobbing into my shoulder and I felt really bad. So, I pulled her closer to me.

"Roxas...I-I saw him at the grocery store. He...He was making out with some lady. And I told my mother. I told her so he left!"

I didn't say any thing. I thought of my own father, leaving me then leaving Sora's mom. I can hardly call him a father, really. I felt a bit angry with Namine's father.

"No.." I finally spoke up. "No, it's not your fault. It's his. He was cheating on your mom."

Namine didn't reply but she hugged me even more. "Roxas." She whispered. "I-I don't know what to do."

I frowned. I honestly didn't know what to say. "Namine..." I could only murmur, as I let her cry on my shoulder.

--------------

The next day was Sunday. Thank God! I got out of bed and changed into some clothes. I had woken up late. I was with Namine for hours in the park, comforting her. I wondered if she felt any better. Maybe I should call.

"Hey Mom." I greeted my mother as I sat down on a chair by the kitchen table. "Can Namine come over?"

"Sure, but I'll be gone for a while. You know, at the library studying." My mother replied. She had a very busy schedule. She worked three days a week and went to school four days a week. "Oh, and you don't have school on Monday. Teacher's meeting." She told me.

"Really? Awesome! Thanks for telling me." I smiled.

"Your welcome. Well, better get going. Love you, Roxas!" She called before shutting the door.

"Bye!" I got up and looked around for the phone. I found it and called Namine's number.

"Hello?" A gruff voice answered. I didn't recognize it. But I was pretty sure I'd heard that voice before...just not at Namine's.

"Umm, can I talk to Namine?" I asked.

"Sure." The gruff voice replied. A few seconds later, I heard Namine's voice.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Namine. This is Roxas."

"Oh, hi."

"Umm, do you want to come over?" I asked. After I said it, I realized how stupid and sudden it sounded.

"Yes! I'd love to!" Namine seemed pleased. "I'll be over in a minute. Okay?"

"Sounds good." I replied. "See you!" I hung up after Namine did. I was glad Namine could make it over, but I was curious about that voice. It sounded so familiar, and I hated it. I hated the voice. I didn't know why, though. I suppose I can ask Namine.

Soon, the door bell rang. I ran to get the door, making a mental note to myself to not look into her eyes. I opened the door. I found Namine looking at me and smiling. I pulled the door wider and let her in, covering my face because I was blushing.

"Hi, Namine. How are you?" I asked as we sat down at the table in my kitchen.

"Good. I feel better that I told someone about _it_." She replied, smiling at me once again. I knew she was referring to the news about her father. I nodded.

"Oh, but wait. Why did you tell me? You could have told Kairi or someone else." I asked.

"Well, not to be mean, but Kairi would have told Selphie and Selphie would have told everyone. I don't want everyone's sympathy, you know?" Namine answered.

I nodded again. "But why me?"

Namine looked away from me. "Because I can trust you." I leaned toward her, wondering why she was turning her head.

"You're blushing!" I yelled, standing up and pointing.

"I am not!" Namine yelled back defensively. But she looked at me while she said that and now I knew for a fact that Namine was blushing.

"Yes you are! Your face is all red!" I grinned.

"..Ha! You are too!" Namine pointed at me. I raised a hand to my face. Was I? I didn't feel hot or anything.

"Namine, you liar." I said to her, laughing.

"Okay Roxas, whatever you say." Namine said, grinning. We were perfectly happy. I hadn't seen Namine laugh like that in a long time. Besides at Kairi's party. But, what troubled me was her eyes. Even though she acted content, her eyes were sad.

"Hey Roxas?" Namine asked. I met her eyes and they were pleading and still sad. "Could I...sleep over?"

"What?!" I asked, my face flaring up.

Namine looked away, blushing. "Sorry I asked..."

"No, no, no, you can. But..why?" I asked.

"Roxas...my mother has a boyfriend." She stopped.

"Oh...don't worry I understand. He's a jerk, right?" I asked. I was reminded of my father once again. Most the time, he was a jerk. A huge one. Other times he would be nice. I don't why my mom tolerated with him. She should have done something. The only reason I know this information is because I found my mom's diary in the basement of our house. She had called him 'a kind jerk.'

"Well, no." Namine answered. "But he can get on my nerves. He's a little bit nice, but he doesn't even talk to me."

"Oh. So, what's his name?" I wondered.

"His name's Cloud."

I tensed up a little. Cloud was my father's name. It was a common name where I live. I knew lots of people who named their sons Cloud. Namine knew my father was also called Cloud. She was looking at me, worried.

"He's got black hair, so it's not your fath...umm... _ex-_father," Namine said.

I didn't say anything. I swear sometimes Namine can read my mind. "Yeah, there are a lot of people named Cloud." I finally said. "Anyway, let's talk about something else. This is such a grim topic."

Namine nodded. "Yeah." She agreed. "So, let's go for a walk. You want to?"

"Sure why not?" I replied as I grabbed a sweater.

------------

"It's the beginning of December. Why isn't there any snow yet?" I asked. We were walking aimlessly around my neighborhood.

"Good question. Actually, we're expecting snow tomorrow. Or the weatherman is." Namine replied. "I love snow, don't you?"

"Yeah. Especially snow boarding!" I said. Man, oh man, did I love to snow board.

"Snow boarding, huh?" Do you think you can teach me how to snow board?" Namine asked.

"Yeah, defiantly!" I replied. "As soon as the snow comes." I grinned.

"Thanks, Roxas." Namine said. We sat down at a bench near the park where Namine told me her problem. We were quiet and Namine was watching some crows fight over an abandoned slice of pizza.

I thought about what Namine told me. Her father left because he was afraid. A coward, knowing the consequences of cheating on another woman. Not exactly like what my father did, but it's bad enough. Why did this have to happen? It will probably mess up our relationship. I sighed. No wonder I was an emo half the time.

I remembered something as I stared at Namine. She's sleeping over. She is sleeping over at my house. Alone. Thoughts raced through my head. It was just like being in the closet at Kairi's party. Except I chose to do this. I gulped. Namine looked at me then. I smiled at her.

Me. Namine. Sleep over. Alone. This was definitely going to be... _interesting._

End of Chapter 6

Mwuhahahaha! Um..yeah the only reason Cloud is Namine's mom's boyfriend is because I didn't feel like making someone up. So I chose Cloud. -cough- Okay, I expect at least 9 or ten review to continue! Yes that's right. 9 OR 10! -explodes-


	7. Romance with a Horror Movie

I'm back, yo. Yep, gonna update now. So I'll stop talking.

Disclaimer: -sigh-...must I say it again? I don't own Kingdom Heart II. I also don't own any movies mentioned.

Chapter 7: Romance with a Horror Movie

"Hey Namine," I said.

She looked up. "Yeah?" We were still sitting at a bench in the park. We were being awfully quiet. Namine had been staring at the crows for quite some time, and I had a feeling she wanted to draw them. Sometimes, Namine would draw the most random things.

"Umm, don't you think it's weird that you're going to be sleeping over?" I asked. "I mean, I'm a boy..and you're a girl."

"I know that." Namine said. "Do you find it weird? If you do, I don't have to come over." She said. "It's just..lately, my mom's been ignoring me and going out with Cloud. So she's probably going tonight."

"Oh. I understand." I nodded. It was getting late. The night was coming. "So, you're not going to ask?"

"No. What's the point? She is always gone at night." Namine said, frowning.

"Oh."

An uncomfortable silence followed. Namine wasn't watching the crows anymore. She was staring at her feet. I looked at her, but she looked downward. I frowned. I hated it when Namine was feeling sad. I looked up and saw one of the crows. Looks like it gave up on the pizza. I glanced back at Namine.

"Oh no," I said quietly as I realized she was crying. "Namine..."

"I..I'm not crying." Namine declared. She still wouldn't look at me. I didn't reply, I just placed my arm around her shoulder and pulled her toward me.

She looked surprised at first but then she relaxed. She smiled, and wiped away her tears. My face heated up a little, as she rested her head on my shoulder.

"Thank you," Namine whispered.

"No problem." I replied, smiling.

After a while, I suddenly heard a gasp. Looking over I saw a familiar brunette and her grinning mischievous-looking boyfriend. Olette and Hayner.

Namine lifted her head and looked where I was looking. We glanced at each other. Then we both separated ourselves and blushed.

"What was going on _here_?" Hayner asked, grinning widely.

"Yeah, what was going on?" Olette asked, grinning as widely as Hayner.

"Nothing!" Namine and I both shouted at the same time.

"Hehe, your lying! Tell me!" Olette said, grabbing Namine's shoulders. "Did Roxas make out with you?"

"No!" Namine yelled, blushing furiously.

"Hey Rox, did you get your first kiss?" Hayner teased.

"No! Shut up, Hayner!" I yelled, feeling my face become red. He must have been getting me back from the time when I was teasing Olette about the kiss in the hallway. She probably told him what I did.

Hayner and Olette were laughing their heads off. I sighed and shook my head. I suppose this is what friends do. Make fun of their other friend's love life. "Hey Rox! Why don't you-" I cut Hayner off by shoving him to the ground.

"Hayner, you shouldn't be talking. What were _you_ guys doing out here? An _innocent_ little walk in the park?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Scratch the innocent," Namine said, laughing.

"Hey, hey, it's nothing like that!" Hayner yelled, his face turning red.

We were all laughing like mad then. After we all caught our breath and calmed down, we began the explanations. I decided that they shouldn't know about Namine sleeping over. They would make fun of is and tease us all year. Namine, thank God, thought the same. Well, she didn't mention it, so I assume that she thought the same.

Hayner and Olette were on a date. Hayner made me swear not to tease him school. I, being a good friend, agreed not to tease him.

"Well, it's getting late. We should probably head home." Olette said.

"Yeah. See you guys later!" We both said good bye and made our way to my house.

---------

At my house, I remembered I needed to call my mom and make sure it was okay for Namine to sleep over.

So, as soon as we stepped inside, I looked around for the phone. I found it under my bed ( How did it get there? ) and dialed my mom's cell phone number.

After the phone rang a few times, I heard my mom's voice. "Hello?"

"Hey Mom, this is Roxas."

"Oh, hi, Roxas."

"Um, I was wondering if Namine could...like..sleep over...?" I realized how strange it sounded.

"Sure. But Roxas,"

"Yeah?"

"Don't do anything stupid tonight."

"MOM!!" I yelled, becoming red. How embarrassing!

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding." My mother said, laughing. "I'll be home at around eleven, okay?"

"Alright." I replied, still embarrassed.

"See you then!"

"Bye."

I hung and placed the phone on it's charger. I sighed. "Man, she can be so weird sometimes..." I mumbled.

"What did she say?" Namine asked. She was sitting at my dinner table. I sat down across from her.

"You don't want to know." I replied, shaking my head. "So, uh, we better set up a sleeping bag. Where do you want to sleep? The TV room? We can watch some old movies or something." I shrugged.

"That would be nice." Namine said. We got up and went to look for a sleeping bag.

---

After I set up a sleeping bag, started the popcorn in the microwave, and got a couple of blankets and pillows, I gathered some DVDs. I spread them out on the coffee table in the TV room.

"Namine, what do you want to watch?" I asked.

"Hmm, let's see what you got," Namine looked at all the DVDs. "_Saw_, _The Grudge_, _Boogeyman_, _The Exorcism of Emily Rose_...Wow, Roxas, you have a lot of horror movies."

"Actually, I've never seen any of them. I always wanted to watch some, but I'll only do it with someone else." I said. I wasn't really afraid, but a movie is so boring when you watch it alone.

"Afraid? I don't blame you." Namine said, looking at the back of the DVD of _Saw_.

"Well, I'm not really afraid, but it's boring if you watch it alone." I stated.

"I see." Namine said. "Okay, let's watch _The Grudge_." Namine handed me the DVD.

"Alright." I said, popping it into the DVD player. The microwave beeped signaling that the popcorn was finished. Namine went to get the popcorn and I set up blankets on the couch. Namine had said she would sleep on the sleeping bag and I would sleep on the couch. We were going to watch the movie on the couch, though.

Namine returned and we settled on the couch. The movie began.

I tried to focus on the movie, but I couldn't. I was thinking of Namine. She was so pretty. I realized that this was just like a date. Taking a girl to see a scary movie, and having the girl get all afraid, and you were supposed to be brave. I didn't even realize that until now. I gulped. I was slightly afraid, but then again, this is _The Grudge_ we're talking about.

After about an hour of the movie, I stretched and yawned. Namine was glued. She was staring at the screen, her eyes wide open. ( a/n - Okay, I've never seen _The Grudge_ so I can't get into detail. )

I gazed at her dreamily. I couldn't help myself.

Then, she turned to face me. I snapped out of it, looked away, and blushed. "S-Sorry," I mumbled.

Namine moved herself closer to me. "This movie is freaky." She whispered. Her eyes were on the screen once again.

I blushed. Okay, I have to admit I kind of liked it. I put my arm around her like I did at the park. I pulled her closer to me. I grinned as she pretended not to notice. I could tell she was enjoying it. She put her head on my shoulder, and positioned herself so she was leaning against me.

Then, I did something very crazy. Very crazy. _Extremely_ crazy. I kissed the top of her head. I stopped, my body froze. What had I just done? Now she probably thinks I'm..I'm some kind of pervert! Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh...

Wait a second.

I looked at her. She was closing her eyes, and smiling contently. I blushed even more. Did she enjoy it? I kissed the top of her head again, to see her reaction. Hey, might as well be brave.

Namine didn't do or say anything. She was smiling, though. And that made me happy. No, pleased. I loved it when she was happy. That meant I was happy. And as I sat there, sitting with Namine, I forgot about our fathers, school and everything else. I felt content. I hadn't felt content in ages. I smiled. Namine made me happy.

I kissed the top of her head once again as the movie played on. A girl from the movie screamed. Weird, a romantic event happening while a horror movie was playing.

End of Chapter 7

YAY FLUFFY!

xD I love how this chapter came out. Nice and fluffy. Man, I want to watch _The Grudge_ so badly it's not even funny! Oh, yeah, I need around 10 to 15 reviews to move on. Last chapter I had 14 reviews! So I expect something near that! Please review!


	8. The Dramatic Event!

Meh. I apologize for not updating sooner. I was on a major writer's block and my teachers gave me homework like woah. That probably made no sense, but whatever. I'm forcing myself to type. Yeah.

My birthday was on January 16th. Just letting the people that care know. Thanks for being patient.

_ It's My Life_

Chapter 8: The Dramatic Event...!

I woke up at five AM. Five AM! I groaned and rolled off the couch. Wait, why was I on the couch? I looked over. On the other side of the couch I saw a certain blonde sleeping. Right. Namine. Last night. My face heated up as I remembered what happened.

I stood up, yawning. Why must I always wake up at five? Even if there was no school? Shaking my head, I walked to the bathroom. I yawned again and looked at myself. I looked at my blue eyes, and then at my natural spikes. Why did I even have natural spikes...? Why was I even asking myself such weird questions? I sighed and made sure there was a clean towel. There was, so I shut the door to the bathroom and locked it.

I needed to take a shower. I'd take a quick one. Namine wouldn't get up this early like me, would she? I hoped not. I undressed and stepped in the shower.

After about twenty minutes, I stopped the water and stepped out of the shower. Wrapping the towel around the lower half of my body, I made my way to the sink. I splashed cold water on my face and looked at myself. My spikes were sagging because they were soaked. I looked different with my hair down. I shook my head and the water sprayed everywhere. The spikes began to stand up again.

Man, I was being very weird this morning.

I opened the door, and walked out. I made my way past the living room, noting that Namine was still asleep. Thank God. Something caught my eye outside the window. I thought I saw something...no, _someone_! Instinctively, I grabbed the towel to make sure it wouldn't fall.

"...Roxas..?"

I whirled around, my eyes widening. Oh no...

Namine. Awake. Sitting up. And I was half naked! My face reddened as did Namine's. Silence followed as we stared at each other, blushing madly. Time seemed to stop.

"Uhhh..uhhhh...s-sorry!!" Time had resumed again and I held onto the towel as I ran up the stairs as quickly as I possible could.

I closed the door and locked it when I got to my room. Flopping onto my bed, I groaned.

"Oh man..." I maoned into the sheets of my bed. "How embarrassing!" How was I going to face Namine now? It would be very awkward, that's for sure.

A knock on my door brought me back to reality. "Huh? Yeah?" I asked.

"Umm... Roxas?" Namine. She sounded embarrassed. "S-sorry."

I smiled a little. "You don't have to be sorry. I didn't know you'd be awake." I let myself laugh uneasily.

"Well, I usually wake up much later then now, but I guess today was different." Namine replied. "I'm going to leave you alone now so you can get dressed." She laughed a little.

"Okay." I replied stupidly. I heard Namine's footsteps fade away. I sighed loudly and stood up. I pulled on some causal jeans and grabbed a shirt. I opened my door and walked back downstairs.

Namine was sitting on the couch, looking at the backside of one of the DVDs that I left out from last night. She heard me and looked up. Then she quickly turned away. She was blushing and she didn't want me to see it. But I did. I pulled on my shirt. "Why's your face so red?" I asked, teasing her.

"It's not red." Namine replied, looking at me again. "See?"

"It was a second ago," I stated.

"It was not." Namine insisted. I sighed in fake defeat. Then I spontaneously lifted my shirt up.

"Roxas!" She yelled as she turned away quickly. I looked at her.

"Hah! Your blushing!" I let my shirt fall back down, as I pointed.

Namine frowned. "Cheater," she murmured, looking at the back of the DVD again.

It was my turn to blush. Did she just call me a cheater? Did that mean she liked me...? I turned away before Namine could see my face. Thankfully, Namine didn't see. I decided to change the subject.

"Hungry?" I asked.

Namine looked up and grinned. "What do you have?"

I told her all the food we had for breakfast and we sat down at the kitchen table. We ate and talked. It was not awkward at all and I was glad for that. We were still friends. Maybe, just maybe, we were getting closer... and then maybe we'll become more then friends.

-

After Namine left my house at around noontime, I had nothing to do. Absolutely nothing. I sat outside on my porch wondering what to do. I could call someone... but since it was Monday, they were probably busy. I turned on the radio which sat on the table that was on my porch. Some very bad song was being played so I turned it off. I sighed.

"I am so bored!" I yelled to no one in particular, as I stared at the clear sky. How strange, it was a clear sky yet it was almost winter. The breeze made up for it, however. I shivered as a gust of wind blew in my face.

"Roxas? What are you doing?"

I jumped, surprised. "Huh?" I looked over. It was Olette and Hayner. They were on the sidewalk right in front of my house. Holding hands. I grinned.

"Olette and Hayner. What a cute couple!" I started to squeal like Selphie would if she saw them together.

Hayner blushed as he let go of Olette's hand. "Shut it, Roxy!" He yelled, calling me by my most hated nickname.

Instead of yelling back, I grinned wider. "Oh? You don't like to be embarrassed, do you?" I tilted my head, still acting like Selphie.

Olette was blushing madly and laughing at the same time while Hayner became even more red and angry. He suddenly charged straight at me. "You asked for it, Roxy!"

I yelped and ran the other way. Hayner caught up to me within seconds, though. He was a star track runner, after all. He tackled me to the ground. Olette ran up to where we were fighting and tried to break us up.

"Hayner!" She yelled. "Stop trying to kill Roxas!" She pulled Hayner off of me. Where she found the strength to pull Hayner off was beyond me.

"Yeah, Hayner. Listen to your girl friend!" I said, chuckling. Hayner lunged forward and he fell on top of me.. "Alright, alright, alright! I'll stop!" I shouted as he pressed my face to the ground.

After kicking me twice on the side, he folded his arms and smirked. "You are forgiven. For now."

I rubbed my side where he kicked. I honestly have no idea why boys always hurt each other. Even though I was a boy, I still did not know. Smiling I said, "I never said I was sorry." Hayner made an attempt to jump on me again, but Olette held him down.

"Jeez, you guys. Always fighting," Olette said, shaking her head. "Don't you ever talk it out?"

Hayner smirked. "It's boring to talk it out." Typical Hayner.

I laughed as I led my two friends back onto the porch. We sat down. Now I was bored with my friends. It's a start. Soon, we'll have some crazy Hayner-Ideas and we won't be bored any longer.

"Hey, guys," Olette started.

"Yeah?" Hayner and I asked at the same time.

"You do know...about the dance?" she asked shyly.

I gulped. "What? A dance?" I asked. Oh great. A dance? A freaking dance?! I shook my head. Was I supposed to ask Namine to the dance..? And a dance is the most dramatic event in a relationship...oh God. I've been with Selphie far too much for my own good.

"Our poor school is hosting a dance?" Hayner asked, acting bored.

"Yeah. It's our second one in the whole year. We have to go, it's a once in a life time chance!" Olette said excitedly.

Hayner sighed. "I hate big events." He said.

I decided to worry about what I would do about the dance later. Right now, I just _had_ to tease Hayner some more. "Aww, Hayner, come on. I know you want to go so you can make out with Olette."

"Roxas!" Olette shouted, blushing once more.

"That's it! Not even Olette will stop my wrath!" Hayner shouted as he lunged for me. I jumped up, laughing.

I fled from my angry friend, thinking at the same time. I sure could multi-task. Worry about my emotional issues, while running away from Hayner, the fastest boy in school. Questions kept going through my head. Hayner had finally caught up to me and tackled me to the ground.

As Hayner and I wrestled, I wondered: What should I do? A dance is coming up!

End of Chapter 8

Yarr. Finally got it done. Hope you guys liked it. Sorry for taking so long. You all know about writer's block, yes? It's a terrible thing. So! 10 reviews and I'll begin the next chapter tomorrow! (If I have few homework assignments) Thanks for being patient. -bows-


	9. Dance Trauma

'ello. Let's start off with the disclamier. I di not own KH. If I did...hoo boy, the game would be rated so much higher... xD

Also, I might be changing the summary sometime soon. I don't really know yet, but I'm thinking about it. To tell you the truth, it doesn't really match. It does, yet it doesn't. Yes, I am just as confused as you are o.o

So, anyway, the reason I'm updating is because I had some inspiration. After reading a fic titled '_Portrait of a Young Women_', I was inspired to update. Thank you, Malcolm Yuy! x3

Mmkay...also I'd like to thank.. **1 Dumb Blondie**, **hotaru89**, **Arisa Aihara**, **Oathkeepera**, **PS2games-lady**, **Namineandroxas4eve**r, **Deliahgirl**, **-Randomness- -KuNoIcHi-KhFaN-**, **Broken-Hearted229**, **Malcolm Yuy**, **Ellie0223**,** xx KELS**, **RubberDuckiesWhoLikePieAndCake, **and** ShinoLover** for reviewing the last chapter! Love you all!

_It's My Life_

Chapter 9: Dance Trauma

Dances? Who even _liked _dances?

I ignored Hayner and Olette's eyes as they watched me pace back and forth. After my brawl with Hayner, we had all gone inside my house. I had stopped fooling around since I really didn't like dances. Once inside, Olette explained the school dance with detail. Like where it was taking place, what time it started, who will be there. All that. Ever since, I had been pacing around, getting anxious. I hated dances. Hayner and Olette knew. They had seen what happened last year, in middle school...

...I shuddered at the thought. The last dance I had gone to was a disaster. I should have known, too. That was the year when I was officially 'emo'. I had gone to the dance and was actually enjoying myself until that idiotic Seifer showed up. He had the nerve to put ketchup on his wrist and start crying attempting to be me. The ketchup was supposed to be blood and he was supposed to be acting like me. Of course, I was really...how should I put this...unstable. Really sensitive and kind of depressed. Since that was the year I learned more about my father. So naturally I was very upset about this. Hayner gave Seifer a bloody nose after that. Hayner, Olette, Pence and Namine were closest to me back then.

Anyway, after that incident, I became anti-social. I thought my life would never be the same. However, Namine helped me. She talked to me, comforted me, like she does to this very day. And I got over it.

But old memories still haunted me. I have never been to a dance since then.

"Roxas, no one is forcing you to go," Olette started.

"I know, but...I...I just don't know what to do!" I sat down next to her. She was sitting on my bed, while Hayner sat on on my floor.

Hayner sighed. "You want to take Namine, right? So why don't you get over that incident and ask her!" He sat up and looked at me. "Or, if you still have a grudge against Seifer, then slug him and move on." He lied down on the floor.

Olette and I stared at Hayner. Since when did Hayner give out _good_ advice?

I smirked. "..You know what, Hayner? Your right."

"Obviously." Hayner grinned.

I continued. "I should get over it. I will!" I stood up, excited. Probably being over dramatic as well, but who cares? After a second, though, I immediately sat back down. "Oh...I don't even know how to dance! Or what to do!"

"What do you mean, 'what to do?' You just go to a dance and have fun!" Hayner said. "And don't ask 'how do I have fun?'!"

"As for dancing," Olette said. "You just, well, move to the beat!" Olette smiled.

I sighed. "I don't even know how I would ask Namine out,"

"YES!" I jumped, surprised by the sudden shouting. Hayner and Olette both shouted 'yes' at the same time and jumped from their seats. They grinned at me.

"W-What?" I asked, suddenly afraid of what they might do.

"I knew it! Roxas and Namine are going out!!" Hayner yelled.

My face flared. I had slipped. I opened my mouth to defy, but Olette cut me off.

"It's no use Roxas, we know!" She smiled at me. "Besides, I think it's really cute,"

Hayner, meanwhile, was a having a hysterical fit. "Hahahaha! Roxas and Namine sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i..." I kicked Hayner before he could finish the rhyme. He continued to laugh. I had no idea why he found gossip so hilarious.

I sighed. "Okay, fine. You got me. I do in fact like Namine more then a friend." I admitted.

"He admits it!" Hayner laughed. I kicked him again, which shut him up.

"Awww!" Olette shouted. "That is so adorable!" I frowned.

"Guys, calm down, will you?" I asked, getting a little bit annoyed.

Olette grinned. "Alright, alright, we'll leave you alone." Hayner, however, kept laughing. Olette and I kicked him at the same time. He groaned and rubbed his side where he was kicked four times. "Oww! Jeez, guys, I was kidding around..."

"So, anyway, Roxas..." Olette said. "You should definitely go. I mean, it's a perfect opportunity to ask her out. And if your worried about rejection, don't be. She seems to like you, too."

"It's not that..." Of course it wasn't that. After last night, I knew for a fact. "It's just I don't how to ask," I told her, rubbing the back of my head.

"I can't help you there, Roxas. Because it's better and more original if you ask her using your own words." Olette said and glanced at her watch. "Woah! Hayner, we got to go! We're going to miss the train!"

Hayner leaped up and grabbed Olette's wrist. "Okay, let's hurry! See you later love-struck Roxas!" He called as he raced out my door.

"Sorry we have to leave!" Olette shouted. "Good luck!"

"Uh...see you. Oh! Wait! Don't tell anyone I like her, okay? If it reaches Selphie's ears, who knows what kind of horrors she'll start." I told them. I was wondering why they were leaving in such a hurry, though.

"You got it!" Olette called, and she and Hayner ran out of my house. I watched them run off toward the a train station. Probably going to Sunset Hill. On a datre, I figured. I sighed and rested against my pillow. Should I go to that stupid dance...? Questions raced through my head. No one is forcing me. Olette is right. Then again, when is she wrong? Such drama is starting to unfold. I guess that's what happpens when you're in high school. I shook my head.

"I'm getting off topic! I need to figure this out!" I groaned.

The phone rang, interrupting my thoughts. I walked over to where the phone was and picked it up. "Hello?"

"Roxas, it's me,"

"Oh, hi mom. Where are you? You haven't called all day." I asked. Truthfully, I was a bit worried, but I knew she enjoyed hanging out with her friends as much as I did.

"I went to do some errands and other stuff. Sorry I didn't call. So how was your little sleep over with Namine?" She asked.

"It was...good. We, uh, watched _The Grudge_." I told her. There was no way I was going to get into details.

"Ahh, I see. Well, I'll be home in a few minutes. See you then!"

"Bye." I hung up. Sighing again, I went back to my room and rested on my bed. Seifer would probably be there. After all, he was popular. I'd probably become a target for him if I go. Then again, Olette was right. It was the perfect opportunity to ask Namine.

The phone rang again. I rolled over and frowned. I stood up and picked up the phone once again. "Yeah?" I asked, rather rudely.

"Roxas? T-This is Selphie," I heard the brunette say.

"Oh, hello Selphie." I replied. Silence followed. I sensed something not quite right with Selphie. She was acting a little bit..._shy_. Which was very unusual. "Ummm...yeah?"

"Well, you know how the dance is coming up..." She trailed off. I stiffened. She was talking about the dance? Why the dance? Don't tell me she's... Selphie continued. "Well, uh, I was kind of wondering if you would want to go with me..?" She asked. My mouth dropped. Oh no. I didn't know how to reject someone...in a nice way!

"Uh...well, you see..." I didn't know what to say. I wanted to tell her that I was going to ask someone else, but I didn't want to hurt her feelings.

"Do you already have a date?" She asked.

"Well...no, but--"

Selphie cut me off. "Then we can go? Yay! Thank you, Roxas!" See you tomorrow!" I couldn't reply. For I was in complete and udder shock and I had frozen. Selphie then hung up on me, without bothering to let me answer.

"...No! Wait!!!"I yelled. Too late. I dropped the phone. As if my life couldn't get any worse. How was I going to tell her that I didn't want to go with her? I mean, I did, but not like that...like friends. How on Earth was I going to get out of this one? My life is seriously starting to become like one big drama movie.

End of Chapter 9

Heheheh, oh dear. Roxas is in a pickle, is he not? God, I'm so evil. So... 10 reviews and I'll update quicker. I was looking back and at chapter 8, and 20 people reviewed! However, the number dropped when I updated! I guess my fans thought I wasn't going to continue. Aaarrrgg! I apologize. T.T

Oh, and I've got a few questions for any fans of Linkin Park. Do you know when the next album is gonna be out? And what kind of songs? I know about 'Qwerty', but what else? I heard from someone that they changed., but I just don't know! If anyone could answer even one of those questions, I'd be very grateful. -bows-

Oh, and sorry for the short chapter. I'm kinda running out of ideas. Anyone can suggest something, but I might take your idea and twist it to my liking x3 Oh, and the next chapter might have some more detail on what happened to Roxas' dad...and things are gonna start to heat up. Heheheh...until next time, my good, kind reviewers!


	10. Running Away

Hello people.

No, I have not been killed. To explain my absence, I just have no more KH motivation. However, I found just enough I need to write up this chapter. Not sure where it's gonna go, but whatever. I might edit the whole story, but I'm still not sure. Any ideas are welcome.

Haha, double digits! I can't believe how far I've come! Looking back, I wasn't that good...but I've improved. And I hope I continue to improve. Thanks, everyone, for your support! Which reminds me...thanks to **Malcolm Yuy**, **Special Pleb**, **RubberDuckiesWhoLikePieAndCake,** **Deliahgirl**, **-Randomness- -KuNoIcHi-KhFaN-**, **PS2games-lady**, **OathKeepera**, **Kyouko**,** Broken-Hearted229**, **Ellie0223**, **Shino-Lover**, **1 Dumb Blondie**, **khgurl94**, **Breanna-meow-meow-**, and **apoetcreatesmagic **for the reviews. Thanks a lot, guys!

There has been a request for some more SoKai. However, I couldn't add it in this chapter. I'll try to add some in the next chapter. Very sorry.

_Disclaimer:_ No, I still don't own KH.

_It's My Life_

Chapter10: Running Away

I woke up later then usual the next morning. When I looked at the clock it was six AM. I groaned and opened my eyes. Staring at the ceiling, I began to wonder. There was school today. However, something inside me, like a knot or something, made me feel quite uncomfortable. I was forgetting something, something important... Something, well, _bad_.

The dance.

I jolted upward. I brought a hand to my head and groaned once more. "Stupid Selphie, why did you have to do that?" I grumbled. I sat up, and scratched my head. What was I going to do?

I took a look in my mom's room. There was a lump and soft snoring. My mother was home. After making sure it was mom, I made my way to the bathroom. I took a quick shower and, after, I began to get dressed.

It was only seven AM when I finished and sat at the kitchen table. I stared at the clock, wondering even more. If I told Selphie I didn't want to go with her, she would be very upset. And what would she do today? Now that she thinks I said 'yes' she is probably going to go around spreading the word. What will I do? What will Namine do?

I sighed. Namine. What would she do? I could tell her the truth, before Selphie blurted it all out.

Then again, I had no idea when Selphie would see her next. I stood up and grabbed a bowl. I poured some cereal into it. I stood up and opened the refrigerator. Of course, I could always call her. Maybe I should call Selphie saying I've changed my mind. But...

I grabbed the milk. Something caught my eye. The milk label. The expiration date had been two days ago. I stared at the label for a long time. Then I gently placed the milk down on the table. I was quiet for a moment. Then, I threw my head back and laughed hysterically.

After my little 'attack', I twitched, getting angry. I picked up the milk and launched myself at the front door. I yanked it open and ran out. Only in a pair of shorts, I hurled the milk as far as I could. It hit the fence of the person who lived across the street from me and burst open, creating a mess of the white liquid all over. I laughed again. Then I sat down. Just sat there, on the cold dirt. And wailed. I wailed loud, letting my anger, depression, confusion and everything else out.

In a second, I gained my sanity back. I quickly stood up and ran back inside the warmth of my house.

What was I _doing_?! It was the middle of January and I had just ran outside in my shorts! Had I gone _insane_? I shook my head and sat down at my table again. I silently ate my cereal. Dry. Could anything else go wrong?

--------------------

I wasn't going to let Selphie do this. I decided I was just not going to go to the dance. I hated them, anyway. Too crowded. Instead, I wanted to go somewhere else. Somewhere and something to entertain myself and forget about the stupid dance. And just maybe Selphie might not have told anyone-- _yet_.

I reached the school in a matter of minutes. It was early, I had ten minutes until the bell rang. I hoped Selphie would be here this early. I passed some people, who gave me curious looks. This made me very nervous. Did Selphie...?

I spotted a brunette in yellow by the courtyard. Only one brunette could pull off a yellow dress and not get harassed by it. And that was Selphie.

"Selphie! Selphie!" I called, running to her.

"Oh, Roxas!" She whirled around and said dramatically. And quite loudly. "I can't wait for the dance! It'll just be me and you! We'll dance all night..."

I stopped dead in my tracks. She _did_ tell everyone. And she actually had the nerve to brag?! First the milk, now this! I clenched my fists, but kept a straight face. No point in yelling at her. "Selphie...I've got something to say."

However, just as she started to ask 'what', the bell rang. "Oh...umm, tell me at lunch okay, Roxas?"

I grunted in response. She ignored that and ran to meet her friends to go to class. I stood in the middle of the courtyard. Students passed by, giggling and pointing. At me. I wanted to scream. I really did. Maybe I was going insane. Who could blame me?

In a matter of seconds, the courtyard was empty. The second bell rang, and that was the late bell. Now I was late. Great. Just great. I stomped inside, taking my time. I didn't care anymore. I only had one mission today. And that was to tell Selphie I wasn't going.

Once inside, I did the combination for my locker and yanked it open. Luckily, the locker wasn't jammed so I didn't get angry. If it did, I would probably kick it until it was busted. Grabbing the school supplies, I slammed the locker and headed for my first class, History. The hallways were empty.

I stopped in front of the closed door to my History class. I reached for the handle but stopped, my fingers inches away from the metal. Namine was in my History class. What would she think? I was frozen.

I slowly turned away from the door. I ran back to my locker and grabbed my backpack. I knew I was going to regret skipping school, but I couldn't help it. I didn't want to hurt Namine.

I ran in the halls, ducking behind random trash bins when teachers walked by. Luckily, few teachers were in the hallways at this early hour of school. I ran for the back door.

Turning the handle, I thought twice. Maybe I shouldn't. But there was no way I could face Namine. It was obvious that Selphie told her. And if I tried to clarify it, I was sure Namine would never understand. She would be hurt. I cringed at the thought.

Then I made up my mind. I opened the door.

"Roxas?"

I froze and slowly turned around. A spiky-haired brunette stared questioningly into my blue eyes. Sora. "Where are you off to?"

"I..." I couldn't explain. Not to Sora. My half brother was too naive.

"Running away?" He asked, his tone saddened.

I flinched. "W-what?"

"Are you running away? I heard that you asked Selphie to the dance. But I didn't believe that. I know you. And you wouldn't ask her. You would ask Namine if you went." Sora said. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Sora, of all people, actually saying something meaningful?

I didn't say anything. I could only stare into the identical blue eyes of my half brother.

"Namine's hurt." This is where I flinched and frowned even more. I knew it. Before I could open my mouth to say something, Sora continued talking. "She doesn't understand. You need to tell her. Running away from this mess is the last thing you should do." the brunette finished.

Silence followed. I looked down, ashamed. I could hear my own heart pounding. I knew Sora was right. But it was hard..too hard. I looked back up at Sora. "You're right. But just because you're right, doesn't make it any more easy. Just... just leave me alone, okay?" I turned my back on Sora and left the building.

I could feel his stare as I walked off. Now, I would _definitely _regret this.

With my backpack in tow, I walked (but mostly ran) to get away from the school. I wondered everywhere, wherever my legs would take me. I found myself at a children's playground. It was deserted. It was built from wood and red plastic. It looked like a wooden maze with two red slides attached. I climbed on the structure and sat at the top of the larger slide.

I thought of what Sora had said. I sighed. "I know, Sora. I know. Running away isn't the answer, but I don't know what else to do. I could just tell Selphie, but Namine...what will she do? I know it will be hard. She's already hurt. She's probably so mad, not even the best reasoning will be enough." I frowned once again. "And now I'm talking to myself. God!" I moaned and leaned back

After lying on the red plastic for a bit, questioning myself, I said aloud. "What have I gotten myself into? Was I making it harder by running, like what Sora said? Stupid Selphie for making this hard. I didn't even ask her! She's the one who asked me! And I didn't even give her solid answer of 'yes' or 'no'. She just assumed I would say 'yes' and ran off to tell the world!"

I sighed again.

"Sounds like you're in quite a pickle,"

I jumped. Unfortunately, when I jumped, I slid off the slide. I scrambled for anything to grab onto. "Who...Who are you?" Unfortunatly, I didn't find anything. I gasped as I slipped and fell off. As I fell on the dirt below, I uttered a cry. I had fallen on my side. I grimaced as I rubbed the side of my leg. I looked up to see who had spoken to me and made me fall off.

Shock took over as I stared at the tall man before me. His eyes were cool blue as he gazed upon me. He looked emotionless. Exactly how I remembered him. I recovered from the shock and stood up. I gave him the filthiest glare I could muster. "You...!" I snarled as I pointed at him. "You have some nerve showing your face to me after all this time!"

End of chapter 10

OOOH! Angst! I think. Can anyone guess who the mysterious person is? I think I made it easy enough...

Well, finally got off my lazy bum to write this. I actually don't know where this is going. But I like it, so I'm going to let my fingers do all the work. Mwehehehehehe... mmkay, sorry this chapter took so long. If you have read my profile you'd know. If you didn't...well, here's the reason. I have become completely obsessed with Digimon. So, this story's updating time is going very slowly, even slower then before. I'm very sorry, but I can't help it. Also, sorry this chapter is kinda short. I'm trying to make my chapters longer, but it's not really working...ahh, well, I'll write a longer one soon. I hope.

Also...I have no idea what is going to happen after this chapter. No idea. So the next chapter will probably take forever. I am very sorry. Sorry it's a bit rushed as well. Like I said, I'm just stuck. I guess. Yeah.

Oh, and be on the look out for Digimon fanfics if you're a fan!

Please be so kind as to review. I recieved 15 reviews last chapter so I'm expecting as much. Or even more! Thank you for your time. Later!


	11. Surprises

Alright. I probably have a few hours to write this chapter. Let's see what I can cook up.  
Anyway for those of you who didn't read my profile, I had some issues to deal with which was why I was gone for so long. Read my profile for more information.

I don't have much time to write. Although a few hours may seem like a lot, but it really isn't. So, I can't thank everyone properly. Well, thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter. You know who you are. I am very grateful to you all!!

Disclaimer: Don't own KH.

* * *

Chapter 11: Surprises 

I couldn't believe my eyes. I didn't want to believe it. This man, who had left me, who had made my mother suffer, had the nerve to show his ugly face now? Of all the time in the world, he picked _now_ to reappear? _Why?_

Cloud. My very own father.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to tell him he was a bastard. I wanted to tell him he caused my mother to suffer. He caused me to suffer. He caused Sora and his mother to suffer. I wanted to tell him to go away, to leave this town and to never come back. Instead, I asked him a simple question. "Why are you here?" I was surprised at the tone of my voice. It was calm and cold. I couldn't recognize it.

He didn't answer right away. He looked at me. I glared at him but stayed calm. He didn't flinch or even look away. He just kept staring into my eyes. Finally he sighed deeply and closed his eyes for a second. "I've been here for a while now. You just didn't notice me."

"Yeah, probably because you wore a black wig!" The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could think about them. I hadn't even thought of what Namine told me the other day until I said that. But then it all made sense. Namine's mother's boyfriend. He had black hair. His name was Cloud. It was too much of a coincidence. Or maybe I was just being paranoid.

I got my answer as I looked at Cloud for his reaction. He looked surprised and impressed, and slightly angry. He regained his cool quickly, though. "Sharper then I thought." He grunted. "However this is not the reason I have shown myself to you."

"Then why? Why appear now? Don't you know I detest you?" I snarled.

Cloud sighed. Was that a hint of sadness in his sigh? "Yes, I thought so. But, the reason I'm here is for another person." He talked softly and cooly.

"Namine's mother." I replied, just as cool as he was.

Cloud looked me over, an eyebrow raised. "Hmm.." He mused. "You are sharp. Just like your mother. And yes, that is the reason. Namine's mother is the woman who truly understands me."

"Yeah, just like my mom and Sora's mom!" I yelled back. I had forgotten about Selphie, Namine, and the dance completely. I could only focus on my father, whom I hated. I wanted him to know that I hated him so much and that he was a heartless bastard. "You're just going to abandon her like you did with my mom and Sora's!"

Cloud couldn't respond to that. He looked at me once again with his blue eyes. "No," He whispered, barely audible.

Then it was my turn to be at loss for words. 'No?' That's how he replied? Did he actually..._care_? No, that couldn't be true.

After a long uncomfortable silence, I had had enough. "Leave." I barked. "Leave now. I hate you. I hate everything about you. You caused everyone to suffer and now you're going to cause Namine and her mother to suffer the same thing. Just leave and don't come back!"

"I can't do that." Cloud replied simply. I thought I sensed some sadness in his voice just like there had been in his sigh before.

"Yes you can!" I argued, getting more upset by the second.

"Roxas." He paused. "Roxas, you need answers. If I leave now you'll never know anything."

I frowned, confused. "Answers? For what?"

"For everything." Cloud replied.

"And what does that mean?" I snapped.

"Later, Roxas. Later, you'll know."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Now I was confused. Was Cloud confusing me on purpose? Answers...was he going to tell me why he left?

Before I could probe him more, he asked, "Aren't you supposed to be in school?" He raised his eyebrow at me again.

He got me. I couldn't talk to him anymore. He could easily tell the school where I had been. He could contact my mother, too. So I said the only word I could say. "Yes." I grunted and turned away from. I took a few steps away from him before saying, "When we meet again, you'll tell me everything." I began to walk away, back toward my school.

"Yes," Cloud replied. "You'll know everything."

And I walked away from my father, a single tear running down my cheek.

-----------

I mulled over what had just happened. I had met my father. I realized I really did have a reason to hate him so. He was a jerk. A heartless one. And what did he mean? Answers for what? Was he going to tell me why he left my mother and never gave her any help for raising me? Was he going to apologize? I did sense sadness coming from him. Perhaps he felt guilty. No. He only cared for himself.

I reached the school in a matter of minutes. I walked around to the back of the school and snuck in. My History teacher never took attendance anyway. He would never know I was missing. I walked down the hall and glanced at a nearby clock. History had just ended. I went to my locker and grabbed my books for Science, my next class.

I didn't have Science with Namine.

As I walked up to Science I suddenly felt the need to tell Namine what happened. About meeting Cloud. After all, it was her mother who was now caught in his game. I could try, but she might be upset with me. Sora did say that she was upset before I left. I groaned as I walked in the science room.

I was the first to enter the room and my teacher wasn't there. On the chalkboard, there was a message. It read: 'Class, I will be in the library for a meeting. I would like you to read pages 234-238 from your textbook and take notes. Anything you don't finish is NOT homework. Thank you.'

I sighed with relief. At least now I could think over what happened and what to do without having to listen to my teacher drone on about molecules.

The other students in my class started to spill in the room. They all began to chat as they opened their textbooks. Hayner rushed in and I felt my heart drop. I was going to have to explain everything to Hayner. That would be hard.

"Sorry I'm late, I-" Before Hayner could make an excuse, he looked at the board and smirked. "Yes!" He cheered then looked at me, his smirk fading. Now his face was creased with worry and he took a seat next to me.

"Hey man. What the hell happened? Where were you during History?" Hayner asked.

"Look, Hayner it's a long story. To make it short, I met with my father and realized how much of a bastard he is in person."

"Huh? How did you meet him?" Hayner asked, confused.

"I...left. I left the school because..." I trailed off, hoping Hayner would get it.

"Yeah, I understand. Namine. You've got to talk to her, man. She's really upset." Hayner said.

"I know. But how?" I asked.

Hayner shrugged. "Sorry, man. I don't know. I hate to sound like Olette, but this is your problem and you've got to solve it."

I sighed. "I know." Just like what Sora said. I've got to face this problem before it's too late. Or maybe it really is too late. I shook that thought away.

"Hey, study hall is next period. Maybe you could talk to her then. Or after school." Hayner suggested.

"Yeah. Thanks." At that moment, I was _really_ glad Hayner was one of my understanding friends.

"No big deal. I just want this to end. I hate seeing everyone so upset."

"Yeah, same."

We both didn't know what to say after that, so I decided to start my class work and opened up my textbook. I couldn't focus on anything so by the end of the period I had done nothing. My teacher was going to be upset with me, but I didn't care anymore. I had more things to worry about then a nagging teacher.

-----------

As I walked to the room the study hall was taking place in, my heart pounded louder and faster. With Cloud still lingering my mind, it would be hard to deal with Namine. I really did like her. And she's been my friend since elementary school. I at least wanted her friendship back and apologize.

But would she listen?

I opened the door and took a step inside. I wanted someone to shoot me the instant I did so. For the sight I saw was horrible. I quickly hid behind a group of friends who were talking loudly. I felt like yelling or screaming or even crying. I felt like I was going to be sick.

I saw Riku. His silver-grey hair looked silky as he ran his fingers through it. He smiled. He seemed at ease with life, exactly the opposite of me. A pang of jealously went through my chest. Why does he get to be so carefree when I have to deal with so much? Another pang went through my chest as he wrapped his arm around a girl.

A girl with blonde hair. A girl with pale skin. A girl with blue eyes. The very same girl I loved.

_Namine._

My heart lurched and I breathed heavily. I felt broken. As if Cloud hadn't been enough.

Namine looked my way and I could instantly tell that she was distressed. Her look pained me. I wanted to run over to her and hug her. I wanted to hold her in my arms. I wanted to tell her that it was okay. I wanted to make things better, just like that. But I knew I couldn't. It was impossible.

Riku noticed me too and he smiled wider. Not in a mocking way, but in a friendly way. He _is_ my friend, after all. But I couldn't stop an anger from growing within me. I forced a smile and made my toward them.

"Hey," I greeted, trying not to show him my anger or frustration.

"Hey man. What's up?" Riku asked, grinning like he was the happiest boy in the world. I felt slightly guilty as the desire to punch him entered my brain.

"Nothing..." I trailed off, and glanced at Namine. She was looking at me, frowning. I bit my lip and was about to ask Namine if I could talk to her alone when she interrupted me.

"Roxas, Riku's taking me to the dance. I heard you're going with Selphie." She stated coldly. She was incredibly upset. I could tell by the tone of her voice. A million ways to respond ran through my head like a tornado. I wanted to tell her I was sorry and that I wanted to go with her. Or tell her I wasn't going with Selphie. Or tell her she was making a mistake by going with Riku. Or tell her about Cloud.

Instead, a single sentence formed out of my mouth. "I'm not going to the dance." I said as I turned my back on them and walked out of the class room.

End of Chapter 11 

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Wow. More angst in this chapter then intended. Sorry about that. Guess I'll have to change the category. I hope you don't mind the angst. I guess everything going on in my head just poured out onto the word processor. Heh. 

So yeah. Sorry about making so many delays and all that crap. I felt really bad. However, I am glad that I managed to find time to write this. I wrote it in 4 hours. I usually take 2 days to write and edit so if this seems rushed, that is why. If it's too rushed, just tell me and I'll change it.

And I've also realized the changes that happened to during my absense. Small ones, but they are good. Like the image/icon thing. I think I might not put a picture up but it's pretty neat.

Well, thanks for reading, sorry for the wait and please review!


	12. A Sanctuary

Hey guys. I have nothing to do on this Saturday evening so I decided to type the next chapter. Here goes.

A HUGE thank you to those who reviewed. I think I lost all of my reviewers except these good, kind people: **Malcolm Yuy**, **Some.Azn.Guy**, **XxRandom-Spectre-KunoichixX**, **Arisa Aihara**, **Cloudrules11**, and **Ellie0223**. Thank you and I hope you'll review this chapter as well!

Disclaimer: I don't own KH.

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Chapter 12: A Sanctuary

The word had spread quite rapidly. When I say 'the word', I mean myself not going to the dance. Selphie was probably heartbroken. She kept avoiding me and ignoring me. I tried talking to her once, but she stalked away from me, right when I was in mid-sentence. I didn't attempt to talk to her again. Actually, I felt relieved that she stayed away from me. I could now think more clearly without having to worry about her.

I already had my fair share of worries.

For instance, Riku. He kept on bragging about how he was going with Namine. And since the date of the dance was drawing closer and closer, everybody kept talking about it. In fact, it was this Friday. It made me sick.

And then there's Cloud.

I didn't want to think about him. Not now, anyway. Later, I would kind a way to contact him and demand my answers.

I sat in Study Hall, thinking of all this. The rest of my friends were with Riku. Hayner told them I had re-met my father. They all attempted to cheer me up, but I ignored them and scolded them. Now they ignored me and avoided me because I was in such an irritating mood.

I felt guilty about that. Did I want to lose all my friends? Of course not. Then why was I pushing them away?

Suddenly, I heard Riku let out a loud laugh and I clenched my pencil tightly. The wood of the pencil hurt my palm, but I was angry at the silver-haired teenager so I ignored the pain. I glanced over and saw Riku, with Namine, talking to Sora. Olette, Tidus, and Pence were a few tables away from Riku and were talking together. They were my only friends that were in Study Hall with me.

I was about to turn away, when I heard Olette say Namine's name. I pretended like I was doing my homework and eavesdropped on them.

"..So what? What do you not get?" I heard Pence ask.

"I don't get why Namine is so upset," Olette answered. They spoke in barely audible voices because they were literally talking behind their friend's backs. "I mean, if Roxas is just a _friend_, then why is she upset that he was going to take Selphie?"

Olette was right. My stomach fluttered. Did that mean Namine really _did_ have a crush on me? But then, if she did, I had broken her heart. I decided to push down that thought and kept listening to my friends.

"Only Roxas _wasn't_ really taking Selphie," Tidus chimed in. "That's what Sora said, anyway."

How did Sora find out? I wondered, but kept my ears on Olette, Tidus and Pence.

"Yeah, I know that. Selphie... you know Selphie, she always jumps to conclusions. But anyway, that's not the point. If Roxas and Namine were just _friends_, it would be okay to take Selphie to the dance. Right?"

Tidus scratched his head. "Oh...You're right! So does that mean they like each other?!" Tidus asked, getting excited.

"Shhh!" Pence whispered. "We're talking about them and they're _right here_ _in this classroom_!"

"Oh right. Sorry." Tidus whispered.

"Poor Roxas..." Olette mumbled. "He likes her and she likes him but...it's all confusing." She sighed.

I frowned as their conversation about Namine and I ended. My friends could probably help me a lot, but I pushed them away. I sighed. Glancing at the clock on the wall, I realized it was time for my next class, Math. I gathered my books and supplies and headed out the door.

-----------

After school, I was planning on walking to my house alone. Even though my friends live near me, they probably wouldn't want to walk with a grumpy kid such as myself.

So, I was completely surprised when someone came up from behind me as I was shutting my locker door.

"Hey, Sora." I grunted.

"Hey." My half-brother replied.

We both stood there for a while, surrounded by an eery silence. I shuffled a bit, uneasily. Sora ran a hand through his hair nervously. Finally, I spoke up.

"Look...Sora, I'm sorry about all this." I told him.

"What do you mean?" Sora asked.

"I mean...well, I've been acting like..well, like an ass, really." I admitted. I paused, looking at Sora's blue eyes. "I've been ignoring you guys and I'm sorry."

"I don't blame you." Sora answered with a sympathetic grin. "You're going through some tough times."

"Yeah..." I agreed. "Well, let's get going."

"Right." Sora nodded.

We exited the school from the back and made our way through the parking lot. Teachers were already getting into their own cars and a group of kids were waiting for the but to come and pick them up. Something was bothering me and I wanted to ask Sora about it. It was about the discussion between Olette, Pence and Tidus that I overheard. I also felt the need to discuss Cloud. After all, he _was_ Sora's father at one point, just like me.

As we walked down the sidewalk, I cleared my throat, preparing to ask my spiky haired half-brother a question. "Hey Sora, do you think Namine...do you think she still likes me?"

Sora turned to look at me. He thought about it for a moment. "Yeah." He finally answered.

"Did you know that she liked me before?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"Well...it was the way you guys acted." Sora shrugged. "Plus, Olette was talking about it with Kairi once. I walked in during their conversation, so I only heard that Namine liked you. And I still think she does."

"Why do you think that?" I pressed.

"I don't know. It's just..." He paused to sigh before continuing. "Ever since you guys drifted away from each other, she seems a tad bit depressed lately. She's not that talkative anymore and she doesn't even seem to like Riku, even though he asked her to the dance and she said yes."

"Hmm...I see." I said. I felt like I should have been pleased with the news. But I wasn't. I felt terribly envious of Riku.

We reached my house much too quickly, before I could even talk to Sora about Cloud. I was forced to wave goodbye to Sora even though I wanted to talk more. I walked inside my home. My house was empty since my mother was at work. I entered the kitchen. I slung my backpack over one of the kitchen chairs and slouched into another chair.

At first I sat without making a noise, without even thinking of anything. Then my head fell onto the table and I groaned. With all these situations I had to deal with, there was too much to think about. I thought my brain was going to explode. I couldn't do it all. I couldn't figure everything out. My mind should have been drowned with questions and hysteria, but the only sentence that entered it was:

_What am I going to do?_

-----------

The next few days came and went like that. Before I knew it, the dreaded date had finally arrived. I didn't feel like going to school that Friday morning.

"Mom?" I called. It was seven o' clock and I was sitting at my kitchen table, watching time go by. I had already gotten dressed, eaten and brushed my teeth. Now I could only gaze at the ticking clock on our kitchen wall, wishing I could seize control of time.

"Yeah?" She replied, calling from the upstairs bathroom. She had just been taking a shower.

"Can I stay home?" I pleaded.

"No." She called back, and I heard the blow dryer being turned on.

"But-" I was interrupted by the phone. It rang twice before I reached over and picked it up.

"Hello, may I please speak to Tifa?" I heard a female voice say. Tifa was my mother's name.

"Yeah, hold on." I replied and called for my mother. She quickly rushed down the stairs, her dark black hair still slightly damp. She grabbed the phone and began talking.

"Hello? What? Oh no! Are you serious?!" She walked out of the kitchen while talking rapidly to her friend on the phone.

I sighed. Now that my mom was on the phone, she'd talk for hours and I wouldn't be able to convince her that I was sick. Oh well. There goes Plan A. Too bad I don't have a Plan B.

The time came for me to start walking up to the school. "I'm leaving," I called. My mother didn't hear me so I just left.

Each footstep towards the Hell I was about to enter made me wonder what was going to happen. Riku would brag more and Selphie would probably be incredibly dramatic; that's for sure. In an instant, a million questions shot through my head. How will I refrain myself from slugging Riku? How will I tell Selphie I wasn't going with her anyway? And what about everyone else? What am I going to do about Cloud? I haven't heard from him since I saw him that fateful day. And Namine. What will she do? And if she likes me then she should dump that son of a-

No. No need to use such explicit language. Riku's a friend. _Friend_. F-r-i-e-n-d.

And how was I supposed to get away from all my dilemmas?

_Riku's a friend. Friend_.

_F-r-i-e-n-d._

And then an idea struck me. I smacked myself for not thinking of him earlier. He was right in front of my nose, this whole time. I could go to him to avoid going to school and he wouldn't care. Sure, I would be skipping, but I wanted more then anything to get away from all this.

Axel.

One of my closest friends, even if I haven't heard from him in a while.

Maybe, just maybe, he could serve as a sanctuary for me.

Without a second thought, I turned away from the direction of the school. I walked, then sprinted as fast as I could to Axel's house. He lived about a mile away from me, but I didn't care. As I ran, I suddenly thought of something. I was running away. _Again._ Then, my half-brother came in mind. Sora. He had tried to stop me from turning my back on my problems. Our conversation we had when I ran away for the first time haunted me.

"_Where are you off to?"_

"_I..." I couldn't explain. Not to Sora. My half-brother was too naive._

"_Running away?" He asked, his tone saddened._

_I flinched. "W-what?"_

"_Are you running away?"_

I shook my head, trying to forget those words that meant so much. Those truthful words that could probably end all of this sooner.

I did my best to ignore them as I ran onward.

End of Chapter 12

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Whew. Bet you weren't expecting Axel to come. Fwuahahaha. Actually, I didn't think I'd put him in this story. The idea just sort of formed. Now this story's heating up again. 

So anyway, I spent the whole freaking day to write this. Yep, it took that long. It is now 11:12 pm. And I am so relieved that I'm done with this chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Now please review so I can continue! (I'd like more then **six**, if it isn't too difficult.)


	13. Last Chance

Wow.. It's been a long time, hasn't it? Sorry about the long wait. Thanks to those who have stuck with me through out the whole story!

Thanks to: **Roxine4Ever1794**, **Rose77**, **Some.Azn.Guy**, **aModestMouse**, **Ellie0223,** **roxas-kh**, **Twisted Madness**, and **Cloudrules11**. For the reviews. You guys are awesome!

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Chapter 13: Last Chance

-----------

A car blasted it's horn at me.

I was walking down the sidewalk, minding my own business, on the way to Axel's place. I winced as the silver Lexus that honked at me pulled over close by. It drove closer and closer to me. I began to worry, until a huge mass of bright red hair covered my view.

"Roxas! Buddy, what's up?" Axel flashed a smile at me as he stopped his car. He flipped his red hair. Still grinning, he asked, "Hey, aren't you supposed to be at school?"

I sighed with relief before pausing to think about how to answer my redheaded friend. "...No. Axel can you do me favor?" I asked.

"Sure. What is it?" He looked at me, an eyebrow quirked.

"Can you... take me to your place?"

Axel blinked. His emerald eyes stared at me. "Sure, man. But why?"

"I'll explain on the way." I replied quickly, getting into the passenger seat of the redhead's Lexus.

-----------

Axel's apartment smelled like old pizza and cologne. Magazines and candy wrappers littered the floor. A red beaten-up couch was placed in front of a stained, transparent coffee table. In front of the table was a large, old T.V set. A stereo system was set up next to the window. Axel also had a small kitchenette on the side of the room. Two doors stood next to the kitchenette, one probably the bathroom, the other Axel's bedroom. All in all, it was pretty homey. I flopped onto Axel's beaten-up couch, making sure to avoid the grease stains. "Axel, don't you ever clean?" I complained.

He ignored my comment and said. "So... Basically, you like this girl Namine and she likes you back, but she's going out with pretty boy Riku?"

"Pretty much." I replied. "But she's not going out with him. Just going to the damn dance with him."

"Which is just like saying she's going out with him." Axel snickered. I glared at him, but he had turned away and reached for a box of Cheese Nips on the coffee table. "So anyway, what are you going to do about it? I mean, you can't let Pretty Boy take your girl." He grabbed a fistful of Cheese Nips and shoved them in his mouth.

"That's the thing, she's not my girl!" I sat up and looked at Axel. My eyes widened in realization as I remembered the night Namine slept over. My face heated up, and I turned away from Axel. I decided to let that detail be kept in my head.

He shrugged, not noticing my red face. "Why not? I thought you said that your friend Omette-"

"Olette," I corrected him.

"Whatever. I thought you said that she said Namine liked you."

I sighed and hung my head. "I know. I'm just so confused. Why would Namine say yes to Riku if she liked me?" I stood up and walked over to Axel. "Girls are frustrating!" I exclaimed.

Axel laughed. "Tell me about it."

It was nice to have a friend like Axel. I could go to him whenever and he wouldn't mind. He took me in when I needed a place to go. And he didn't have any personal opinions to any of my friends. Axel was in his Senior year of high school. He was a slacker, though, so he didn't mind when I came to him and wanted to skip school.

After a couple of hours of watching sitcoms on the T.V, The spiky-haired redhead stood up and stretched. "Rox, I have to go. There's this one hot teacher in my last class, Biology, and I want to see her today. I even did my homework for her."

I groaned. "But Axel... what about me? Your not going to take me to school, are you?"

"Pfft, you should go. School is good for you!" Axel joked. After another glare, he added. "Okay, you can stay here if you want. I'll be back at around two thirty-ish."

"Alright, whatever." I grunted. Axel grabbed a black hoodie and opened the door to exit his apartment. Before he left, he said. "You know, Rox... Namine could be getting revenge by saying yes to Riku. Think about it. You asked Selphie, so she became jealous." I was about to yell the fact I didn't ask Selphie, but Axel slammed the door and yelled. "See you!"

I mused over what Axel said. It certainly did make sense. And it probably was the truth. But by now shouldn't she know I didn't ask Selphie?

I decided to continue watching the 80's sitcom on the T.V rather than think it over.

-----------

Time passed slowly. Hours dragged by. Finally, the day turned into dusk. I stared out of Axel's window. Axel hadn't returned. I wasn't too surprised. I wouldn't be surprised if he was at the dance himself. Anyway, Axel had developed a slight ADHD problem over the years so I suppose it wasn't his fault.

Everyone must be wondering where I was. I wasn't at school. I wasn't at the dance. I honestly did not care anymore. Namine could have fun with Pretty Boy Riku for all I cared. I stood up and walked over to Axel's kitchenette. Getting a half gallon of lemonade out of it, I sighed.

No matter how much I denied it, I really did care.

I poured myself a glass of lemonade and gulped it down.

-----------

It was around ten-thirty pm. I was flipping through channels but I didn't find any good shows. I knew I would regret just sitting here and staring at the T.V screen instead of going to the dance. I just knew it.

With what little determination I had, I had decided on what to do. No more running away. I was going to the dance to set things straight. I turned off the T.V and jumped up from the couch. I searched for Axel's cordless phone and found it under an empty pizza box. After wiping the grease off the phone and cursing Axel's messiness, I dialed his cell phone number.

It rang twice before Axel picked up. "Yeah?"

"Axel? Yeah, I need another favor."

"Another one?"

"Uh-huh. Get your ass over here." I demanded.

"Alright, alright. Jesus..." He mumbled and hung up.

Ten minutes later, Axel parked his car in front of the apartment. He honked twice and I ran outside to greet him.

"Where the hell were you?" I asked, getting in the Lexus.

"Sorry, Rox. Lost track of time. I was hanging with my other Senior buddies. So? What do you want?"

"Can you drive me to the school?" I asked.

"Huh? Sure, but why?" Axel scratched his head.

"Because I need to fix this mess." I replied as he started the engine and drove off in the direction of our high school.

"Okay! Now you're talking! Don't let Pretty Boy take your girl!" Axel cheered.

I managed a grin. Axel's optimism definitely helped raise my spirit.

After many red lights and stop signs, we finally reached our destination. I looked over at the dashboard. It was about ten minutes until eleven. I had time. We pulled up by the back, where the chaperones would let the teenagers out at the end.

"The dance ends at eleven, right?" I asked.

"I think so." Axel replied, drumming his fingers on the wheel. "Oh, wait they changed the time."

"What?" I raised my voice slightly. I didn't want to go in. My plan was to meet Namine as she was leaving. I wanted to catch her alone, so we could talk one on one. And I wanted to confess.

"Yeah, I think they changed it to eleven-thirty. Well, we could hang out here and wait for her." Axel kicked back and placed his leather boots on the wheel. He rested his head on his arms.

"I don't have time for this," I grumbled, opening the car door. "Wait for me, okay?"

The redhead sighed. "Fine. But don't take too long or I'll get bored."

"Thanks. I owe you one." I grinned, grateful for him.

"More like three," Axel retorted, pulling out what looked like a Game Boy.

I shut the car door and raced to the school's exits. I paused. I didn't really want to make a scene, and showing up very late would definitely cause one. So I ducked behind some stable cars and snuck my way to one of the side doors on the school. Nobody was 'guarding' the door, so I slipped in.

"Man, this school needs a bit more security." I grumbled to myself.

The gym was where the dance was taking place. The school usually had it's dances somewhere more professional, but they were experiencing 'technical difficulties.' So they just used the school's gym.

As I jogged down the hallway and neared said gym, I heard some rock music. It was being played very loudly. I winced as I slowly walked up to the double doors; the entrance to the gym.

Just as I was about to enter, the loud song ended and I heard an enthusiastic man start talking through a microphone. I peered in the door's windows.

It was the DJ speaking and he was saying something about the last song of the night. I shielded the light from the hallway with my hands so I could see the gym better.

Most of the students were dancing with one another. I saw Seifer and a girl who looked like Fuu, one of his lackeys. I also caught a glimpse of the back of Kairi's head. I saw other people I didn't recognize and students from my class. But I didn't see Namine or Riku anywhere. I was about to turn to find another window, but I caught sight of Olette and Hayner, they were paired up, hugging each other closely as they danced. Perhaps Riku and Namine would be near them….

My heart fell as Hayner and Olette disappeared in the crowd. I didn't see the two I was looking for anywhere.

I sighed in defeat and turned around. Maybe I'd run into Namine while I was walking out. No, that would never happen. That would be too easy. Like a movie. I wished, for once, my life was like a movie. It would make this a lot easier.

I sighed again as I headed out the front door. I guess I could have gone in, but I didn't want to make a scene. I wanted to speak with Namine alone. Not with the whole student body staring.

I rounded a corner of the hallway and stopped. I stood in the middle of the hallway, thinking of all the events I screwed up. "I'm so stupid!" I yelled at myself. I went over to a set of grey lockers and bashed my head against the metal. "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid!" With every 'stupid', I hit my head.

My head began to hurt, so I stopped banging my head. I slid down until I hit the floor. I sat there, leaning against the lockers and rubbing my head, for a while.

"I'm so stupid," I repeated. I shut my eyes for a moment, thinking.

"Roxas?"

I looked up. A feminine shadow fell across the floor and I heard footsteps approaching me. At first, I thought it was Namine. My heart leapt. It fell when Kairi came around the corner.

"Roxas, is that-" She paused, violet eyes on me. "Roxas!" She knelt down beside me. "Are you okay? What happened? Why are you out in the hallway? Why weren't you at school? Why-"

"Kairi." I held up a hand to stop her. She did and blinked. "Listen, Kairi. Do you know where Namine is?"

"Yeah…she's, uh, in the gym…" Kairi trailed off, looking slightly nervous.

"…With Riku, right?" I finished her sentence with a moan.

"Well, yeah," Kairi said, looking at the floor." So, where were you? We were all worried about you."

"I was at a friend's house. Where's Namine? I need to talk to her."

"She's in the gym like I said, but I don't think you should-"

I interrupted her. "Sorry, Kairi, but I need to talk to her. It's important." I said and with that, I ran back towards the gym. Kairi didn't say anything to respond and I could feel her gaze on my back as I left.

I was so close to Namine. So close to telling her it was mistake, so close to telling her I didn't ask Selphie, So close to telling her…

I loved her.

I didn't truly realize it until I thought it. It wasn't just a simple crush anymore. I blinked. Then, with a new, stronger determination, I marched in the gym.

It seemed as though the dance just ended. Students were filing out. The lights were turned on. The DJ was gone. The sight of the back of a light blonde girl heading out the door appeared in my vision…

Namine. Here I go. This was the last chance to tell her how I truly felt. My last chance to fix whataver I had done. My last chance to tell her I was sorry about everything that had happened to separate us. With that final thought, I sprinted toward the girl that I loved to tell her the truth.

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Done. Finally. Please review because I forced myself to get this done. Thank you.

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	14. Determined

Well. School has begun. There goes my freedom. Sigh...So! I'm updating! Rejoice, my reviewers and miscellaneous people who add this to their favorite stories. ;D

Yep, I'm in a good mood. Don't know why. So I'm here again. Also because I don't want my last few reviewers to go away. What happened to everyone? I understand I was gone for awhile, but you know, a few more reviews would boost my confidence and get this chapter done faster...

Thanks to **Roxas fan 3513**, **ILOVEAnime65**, **X-The Random Vampire-X**, **xXxMissMurder416xXx**, **Cloudrules11**, **Malcolm Yuy**, **DJ HiHi Kimiko**,** Ellie0223 **and **i dont care wat u think of me** for all the reviews. Thanks!

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

_ It's My Life_

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Chapter 14: Determined

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I didn't want to yell. I didn't want to attract the students' attention by yelling for Namine.

But I couldn't help it.

"Namine! Wait!"

I reached out toward the blonde, but felt my body falling. As soon as she turned my way, I had tripped over a leftover cord on the floor and landed flat on my face. I groaned as my nose felt as though it had been smashed.

"...Roxas? What are you doing here?" I heard Namine ask, her tone surprised. She knelt down beside me. I shook my head and sat up, rubbing my wounded nose. Was it bleeding..?

I glanced over at Namine. She looked almost pleased to see me. But she caught herself and immediately frowned, standing up while doing so. She crossed her arms and glared down at me. "What are _you_ doing here?" She restated, but in a much more distraught tone.

"I came to see you," I replied, following her lead and standing up as well. My nose stung like crazy, but I ignored it. "I came to explain. I-"

"Just stop." Namine interrupted, turning away from me. "You had me going there for a second. I thought we were... more. More then friends. But no. I was wrong. I thought I could trust you, Roxas." She paused. I was shocked. Had I really made her feel this terrible? I opened my mouth to say something, but she continued to speak.

"What did that night mean?" She asked, whipping around to stare angrily at me. I stared at her blankly. Realization and remembrance hit me in a second."What did it mean that night I slept over? Why did you do that and then ask Selphie out?!" She took a moment to calm down before saying, "You confused me, Roxas. You.. You broke my heart." Her ocean blue eyes wavered and she looked at me sadly.

"No! I didn't! Let me explain!" I sputtered. I couldn't let her think I did this to her. Every thing I wanted to say to her ran through my brain. I couldn't bring myself to utter a sentence. I just wanted her to understand that simply.

"No. You had your chance. Instead, you ran away and let it go." I winced. Just like what Sora told me. Oh sweet karma.

"But Namine... This isn't how I wanted it to be like. I wanted you to be part of my life," I tried to reason.

Namine looked at me with a fierce look of anger and sadness. "Well, I have my own life. And It's _my_ life, and I want you out of it!"

The words stung worse than any physical pain. Someone could have punched my stomach and it wouldn't feel this painful. I stared blankly at her as she turned away, tears glistening in her eyes. I felt as though my heart had been pummeled to the ground. It was like the pain in my nose except much more...painful. With one final look, Namine ran away from me as I slumped down on the ground.

I took a moment to let her words sink in. Had I really blown it? Of course. It was too late now. She thought I cheated on her. She thought the night she and I were watching that horror movie was just a joke. She thought I liked Selphie more then her. It took just a moment, but I stood up quickly, making up my mind.

I still had time to explain. I was determined to save our relationship.

Ignoring the pain in my nose and heart, I headed out the gym doors. Most of the students had cleared away by now. A few stood around, waiting for their ride. I ran past them to catch up with the blonde.

My legs pumped faster and faster as I became desperate to find Namine. My thought flashed to Axel, waiting for me in his silver Lexus. Hell, the redhead was probably gone by now. Oh well. Good for him. I relied on him too much anyway. I was definitely going to pay him back sometime soon.

I caught sight of the blonde's light hair and my heart jumped. She was walking now, her hands wiping her face. "Namine!" I called for her.

She stopped and turned. A look of surprise first, then it changed to annoyed. Her blue eyes were red from crying and I felt guilty. Those blue eyes locked on me as I walked up to her.

"Please. Just let me talk." I said softly.

Namine studied my face. We both stared into each other's ocean blue eyes. She frowned.

After a moment of silence, I said. "I didn't ask her. Selphie just came up to me and- Hey! Wait!" Namine had begun to walk away from me, arms crossed. I jogged to catch up with her.

"Why won't you listen to me?" I asked, becoming upset.

"Because. Roxas, we've been friends for awhile. But you can't just do something like kiss me and then ask someone else out. And that's why I don't want you in my life anymore." Namine replied firmly. A little to firmly. As though our conversation were to end now. I looked up and saw her house a few yards away. "Now just leave me alone," She told me and walked down the cobblestone path that led to her front porch.

"Namine!" I said, following her up the stairs and onto the porch. "Why won't you let me explain? I didn't ask her because I don't like her like that. I like-"

I stopped mid-sentence. Namine's front door had opened, as though welcoming Namine in. Except it wasn't a welcoming person who had opened the door.

All thoughts about making up to Namine vanished. My eyes narrowed as I stared at the now blonde, spiky-haired man.

"Cloud."

His blue eyes found me and he sighed sadly. "Roxas." He nodded toward Namine. "Namine." He stepped outside, and onto the porch. He faced Namine and I. She had moved closer to me.

Closing his eyes, Cloud sighed once more. "I'm afraid I won't be seeing you two anymore. Perhaps I will come back to visit."

"What do you mean?" I spat, glaring at him. Namine did nothing and said nothing. All she did was stare at Cloud monotonously. "Weren't you going to be give me your _answers?_"

"You already know everything." Cloud responded.

"Oh really? What do I already know? That you would abandon Namine's mother just like you did to mine and Sora's?"

Cloud was silent after that remark. "...Yes." I blinked. He seemed... different. And I kind of felt..._guilty_. I shook away the feeling. Before any one of us said another word, I heard a scream.

"Get off my porch!" A woman shrieked. "I never want to see your phony face _ever_ again!" I recognized Namine's mother yelling. Looks as though the two were breaking up. Good for her. I took a look at Namine, who glanced in the house, looking anxious. I felt like holding her hand to comfort her, but resisted the urge.

"Yeah." I said, the guilty feeling now completely gone. "Leave. Nobody likes you because of the bastard you are."

"Roxas, stop calling your father such names. What kind of woman is your mother, teaching you those curse words?" Cloud said, shaking his head sadly. His expression seemed to be permanently saddened.

That was when I lost it. "You are _not_ my father!" I nearly screamed. My eyes burned holes in his as I added, "And my mother is a better parent then you will _ever_ be!" I gritted my teeth and lunged myself at the blonde haired man.

"Roxas, don't!" Namine's voice made me pause. I snapped out of it, but before I could attack the man I hated, Namine latched her arms around my own and restrained me. My heart beat faster and faster as the adrenaline pumped in my veins. "Let me go," I breathed. "I'm sick of this guy!"

"No, Roxas! You'll regret it later!" Namine told me, using all her strength to pull me back. "Let's just...get out of here!" She let go of me and, before I could attack Cloud, grasped my hand and led me off the porch. She began running, dragging me along. Her hand felt warm against my own, so I let her pull me away from the scene. I stole a glance at Cloud. He was watching us with interest. Then another shriek was heard and he quickly stepped off the porch. I looked away, allowing myself to be dragged by Namine into the night.

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Whew... 

I have no more ideas for this fic. This fic might be coming to an end. I personally hope so because I want to start some new ones or finish my other fics. Any ideas, feel free to share them. x)

Whoa, I realized this is one short chapter. Sorry about that...

And don't forget to review!


	15. Finale

Final chapter.

Thank goodness it's over. I was getting sick and tired of this story. It sucks, but I don't have the time or effort to revise it and perfect it. Atleast you can see how much I've improved. :)

Anyway, let's get down to business. Sorry for the wait, yadda, yadda, yadda. My excuses are on profile if you want to look. MOVING ON.

Thanks to everyone who took their time to review. Many, many, **_many_** thanks to those who had reviewed and stuck with me throughout this whole story. I can't express much love I have for you guys! So thank you so much!

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Chapter 15: Finale

Panting, sweating. More panting, more sweating.

Namine's hand squeezed mine tightly as we ran together. It seemed as though we had been running for hours. I had no idea she had this much stamina.

I also had no idea where we were going.

I just allowed her to pull me in any direction she wanted. I was too tired, mentally, to think anyway, so it worked out. My brain was crammed with thoughts and I was working on getting them out. But just as I about to forget one thing, another thought would appear and I'd mull over that. Suddenly, I visualized Sora. My half-brother gave me his wide, cheesy grin. Then I thought of his best friend. Riku. Riku, Riku, Riku. What was to become of him?

And just like that, Namine halted. Breathing heavily, she bent over and rested her arms on her knees, looking like a runner who ran four miles. For all I knew, we could have.

I sat down on what I guessed was grass, huffing as well. I wiped some sweat off my forehead. I looked around the area where Namine had led me too. We were on a hill, I could figure that out. Strange looking shapes were below us. The darkness of the sky made all the shadows look ghostly. I blinked a few times, trying to make sense of it all. Then it hit me.

The park.

"It took that long to get _here_? I thought we ran a mile or two," Was the first thing I could say as I sat down on the grass. From the looks of it, we were somewhere near the middle of the park.

Namine laughed softly but stopped herself. Sighing, she sat down next to me. "It was the only place I could think of."

I mused over that. "Hmm..." I noticed running seemed to have calmed her down. She wasn't as angry as she was before. It was my turn to sigh, though, as I lied down against the grass. "We... I need to clear some things up." I said quietly.

"Yeah, we do." Namine replied quickly, focusing her blue eyes on me.

"First off, I did _not_ ask Selphie to the dance. She assumed I'd say 'yes'," I told her.

Namine kept her gaze on me. So I looked back at her. Finally, she smiled weakly. "...Really? I mean, I probably shouldn't have reacted like that. Riku, he just asked me and so I said yes because I thought you and Selphie were going together. Oh, this is all my fault!" She cried, clutching her head.

"No, no, it's my fault. I skipped school twice to avoid you. I should have told you and Selphie straight out and fixed this mess. Sorry," I finished rather lamely.

"I apologize as well." Namine said, and we both smiled. I was so relieved. It was like a huge mass of heavy rocks or something had lifted off me. I reached over and hugged her without thinking. "Besides," She hugged me back, laughing softly, "It's hard to stay angry with you."

But I wasn't done explaining. I had to tell her how I felt. I let her go and breathed out. "And I wasn't fooling with you that night when we were at my house. I..." I lost my train of thought. I felt my face heat up from embarrassment.

But Namine understood. She smiled, and even in the darkness, I could see her smile and her blush. "I know. And I like you too, Roxas."

I smiled back at her as she scooted closer to me. "So you don't like Riku?"

"As a friend, yes. But only that. And you and Selphie are just friends too, right?"

"Of course." I replied instantly. I sighed with relief. "Man, that was hectic. I am so glad this is all over and you understand." I knew what I had to do at that moment. I shunned myself for saying the last sentence. Because now would be the perfect time to do what we both were waiting for. And by saying that last sentence, I was buying time.

"Yes," she agreed. "But it's over so we can move on." She smiled and faced me. A moment of silence passed over us. We locked gazes with each other. Now or never. And if I did it now, I could prove my loyalty to her. Everything would clear up with this... kiss.

So I leaned in.

I closed my eyes.

My heart was beating a million miles per hour.

I half opened one eye and peered at Namine. She had closed her eyes as well. She was waiting.

And, only hesitating for a fraction of a second, I kissed her.

And I thought I died and went to heaven. I hate to be that cheesy, but it really did feel like that. Not only was Namine the very first girl I had kissed, her lips were soft and warm against my colder ones. I wanted to deepen my very first, perfect kiss, but I knew I had to stop. After all, it was only our first kiss.

It felt like ages before we pulled away. I had enjoyed every moment of it, and I'm sure she did too. We stared at each other awkwardly and exchanged nervous smiles. Namine then rested her head against my shoulder. "That was...perfect." She whispered as she closed her eyes.

I looked at her and felt pleased. Happy. Satisfied. Not heartbroken, anguished, or angry. But content. I wasn't angry or envious of Riku. In fact, I was planning on talking to him later. And Selphie. I was going to have to get chewed out from Axel, but this was definitely worth it. I would speak with Sora, tell him I was sorry for running away and that I should have listened to him. And maybe I would even forget about Cloud for awhile. For once, in a very long time, I felt very content. And I felt as though in the future, things would only get brighter. I was feeling perfect. Perfect, just like the kiss.

--End.

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OH GOD THAT WAS SO CHEESY. 

But whatever. Atleast I'm done. I don't really want to make an epilogue so you guys can use your imagination on what happens next. Oh, and if you have any questions that weren't answered, just let me know through a PM.

I think this chapter came out terribly. I'm sorry, but I do. It's so damn short. And I'm sorry. It got really cheesy too. I hate the ending because it's way too happy. I didn't intend to do that, but I guess it's tolerable. Next time, I'll plan better. I hope.

And yes, the kissing scene was **_terrible_**. Don't even get me started. I've never described kissing before so it was hard.

**_Thanks for reading this story, and I'm sorry for leaving for so many months._**


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